On Second Thought

All Cooped Up

2011-05-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

The "new" coop and the roof of the "dog house coop" on the left and that's Boris in the background. And yes, he came from Ukraine.

One day at work I was looking over a pile of discarded lumber and trying to think of ways to get rid of it. The 2x4's and plywood were the remains of a skate park renovation. The wood was all twisted, warped, and full of broken off screws and nails. I had considered running it all through a chipper and turning it into mulch, but all the bits of metal left in the wood made me a little hesitant of that idea. It wasn't until a friend showed me a chicken coop he had built and all the eggs that his chickens produced that I decided to turn all that scrap wood into something useful.

My friend gave me the plans he had used and the promise of one of his young hens to get started. After several weeks of nights spent out in our shop making all those twisted pieces of wood fit together, it was finally finished. (The roofing material by the way was also second hand. It was generously given by a friend at church.) The same day I took delivery of our first hen, Edna stumbled onto a mother hen with seven chicks running loose in a parking lot in town. Animal control rounded them up and said that if no one claimed them, we could have them. The following Monday I brought mama hen and her seven chicks home. They have adapted well to life in the coop although I've had to move our young hen, who Edna named Cotton, into a smaller coop due to differences in opinion with mama hen. The second coop is a converted dog house which started life as a fruit bin that fell off of a truck passing our house when I was a little kid. This didn't start off as a lesson in recycling, but it seems to have ended up that way. We're just putting what we learned in Ukraine into practice, don't waste anything.

Mama hen and her chicks

Snow Day

2011-01-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

Today we made the long anticipated trip up to the mountains to enjoy some time in the snow. We were all a little home sick for the times we played in the snow in Ukraine so a quick trip into Sequoia National Park was just what we needed.

Lyuba in a snow cave (she sat out the rest of the snow excursion sitting comfortably in the car)

I promised Joshua a snow cave and quickly went to work carving out a snow shelter adequate for a family of four. Unfortunately, by the time I put the finishing touches on my survival masterpiece, Joshua had decided that he was done being wet and cold. Dominic wanted no part in wallowing in the snow, preferring to take pictures of me doing it instead.

Showing off my handy work

Dominic literally walked up to this buck (one of three) and snapped his photo as we descended below the snow level

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. -Habakkuk 3:19

Back on the Ranch

2011-01-14T22:35:00.000-08:00

Today was my day to get things done around the homestead and catch up on some chores. Along with Dominic and my dad, we picked up brush and leaves around our house. I cut up a little bit of oak too. It was a good day to be outside working on the ranch, three generations strong.

The photos are courtesy of DGS Photography (Dominic).

Empowerment and Ebo

2010-11-21T21:01:00.000-08:00

Ebo Elder

Today, world champion boxer Ebo Elder taught at all three services at church and then came back to teach at a men's barbecue this evening. He gave two powerful messages today. The first being about how God uses our failures to prepare us for leadership as was the case with Moses. The second message was about how Jesus Christ empowers us to accept His forgiveness and turn from our sins like the woman who was about to be stoned in John chapter 8.

Ebo at the men's barbecue

It's always a pleasure to have Ebo visit our church and have a chance to hang out with him. He's a really nice guy and even autographed a photo for Joshua. Please check out Ebo's ministry called Ebo Tribe at http://www.ebotribe.net/.

Ebo and Joshua

Since starting a new job in July of 2010, I haven't had much time for blog posts, but I've decided that I need to make time. I'm so blessed to be a part of the ministry again along with my wife Edna and I want to be able to share that with all of our friends and family. So hopefully I'll be a little more diligent at getting things posted.

This is the sunset I saw on the way to see Ebo this evening

It's a Boy! (And Another Boy, And Another Boy)

2010-08-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

Last night our (Edna's) dog Lyuba had her puppies. Within a few hours she delivered three male puppies. Mother and pups seem to be doing well and for now are sleeping in our bed. Although we are already attached to the little guys, we will be finding homes for them once they are old enough. I know Edna will be sad to see them go for sure.

Lyuba with her three little ones

And Then There Were Nine (so far)

2010-07-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

New Arrivals

I got up this morning with the intention of taking the four kittens and their mother to the county where they could find homes for them. I was a little surprised to find nine kittens instead of four. Momma kitty had four new kittens during the night. Hopefully they will all find homes eventually. I guess we picked them up at just the right time.

The little black dog slept with Edna last night and she named her Lyubov which is Ukrainian for the word love. It just seemed right since she was so full of love. We call her by the diminutive, Lyuba. I don't think I can pry her out of Edna's arms so it looks like we'll be keeping her.

Lost and Found

2010-07-12T23:32:00.000-07:00

Four kittens and a very pregnant momma cat

On the way to the Men's Discipleship Evening at church, Joshua and I saw a sad sight. Someone had dumped a little black dog along with four kittens and their pregnant mother. The little dog was standing guard over the cats as it sat under a lone oak tree on the side of the road. We turned around and watched them for awhile and noticed the little black dog diligently herding the kittens away from the road as cars passed. We felt helpless to do anything since it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and we were supposed to help out serving in the cafe at church. We reluctantly drove on, but Joshua prayed that they would still be there safe and that we could rescue them on our way home.

Four hours later, all six animals were as we had left them. I made a valiant effort to capture the little dog even getting a hold of her several times only to have her struggle free. She refused to leave the kittens so I had to rethink how I was going to capture them all. (I vowed to Joshua that I wouldn't leave any behind.) I scooped up the mother cat thinking the kittens would want to follow. I was wrong. All they wanted to do was run around playing in the grass and running up trees. Did I mention I was doing this in the dark with only the headlights from our Jeep for illumination?

After about an hour I managed to get hold of the last kitten. To Joshua's dismay, they seemed perfectly happy to carry on their playful antics throughout the Jeep leaping from seat to seat chasing each other. With all the cats wrangled up, I finally coaxed the little black dog into letting me pick her up. She was happy to be reunited with the kittens.

Our drive home was anything but uneventful, but we made it. You can only imagine the scene as I tried to drive with one kitten pawing at my legs, one in my lap, and another climbing on my shoulders as I juggled my cell phone to let Edna know why we were so late.

When we got home Edna immediately snatched up the little black dog and informed me that we're keeping her. By the time I got all the cats situated for the night, Edna had already given the little dog a bath and made a spot for her on the sofa (as well as in her heart I suspect). We'll see what happens. All I know is that what was once abandoned and lost is now found.

Happy to be loved

Going Batty

2010-07-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Say hello to my little friend

The old hay barn on the ranch where we live is filled with bats. As a kid, I remember watching them come flying out of that barn around sunset every summer evening. Now our boys enjoy watching the same spectacle. I started thinking about how many bugs they must eat and about how much I hate all those bugs on a warm summer evening. I wanted to find out just how beneficial those little flying mice really are. Here's what I found:

"Bats make good neighbors. As the only major predators of night flying insects, bats play an important role in controlling many insect pests. A single bat can consume as many as 500 insects in just one hour, or nearly 3,000 insects every night. A colony of just 100 little brown bats, the most abundant species in the Northeast, may consume more than a quarter of a million mosquitoes and other small insects each night.

Big brown bats, which live primarily in agricultural areas, feed on June bugs, cucumber beetles, green and brown stinkbugs, and leafhoppers. Research has shown that over the course of a summer, a colony of 150 big brown bats can eat 38,000 cucumber beetles, 16,000 June bugs, 19,000 stinkbugs, and 50,000 leafhoppers and can prevent the hatching of 18 million corn rootworms by devouring the adult beetles."

I decided that making a bat house would be a great way to increase our bat numbers and teach the boys something in the process. I realized that all the materials I needed were just lying around waiting to be used, so I went to work.

Inside the bat box

I settled on a "rocket bat box" design and went to work modifying the design to fit my needs. It turned out to be a full day project and then some.

12 foot 4'' x 6'' redwood post

Complete with three covered plexiglass viewing ports for Joshua

Today I went into the barn and gathered up a few bats that couldn't squeeze into any of the already overcrowded crevices. These became my first tenants. We'll see if they decided to return.

The first occupant

Some more bat facts:

"Although some mammals are able to glide, bats are the only mammals that truly fly. That is, they actually flap their wings to propel them in flight. They belong to their own unique order of mammals, called Chiroptera, meaning “hand wing,” which refers to how the finger bones of a bat support its wings. The wings of a bat are actually thin membranes of skin that stretch between the fingers of the front leg and extend to the hind legs and tail. The bat’s finger bones are greatly elongated and serve a purpose similar to struts on an airplane wing, providing support and maneuverability during flight. When at rest, a bat folds its wings alongside its body to protect the delicate finger bones and wing membranes.

Bats live in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, fields, forests, cities, suburbs, and agricultural areas. They usually feed in areas where insects swarm, such as over water and agricultural fields, in forest clearings and along forest edges, and around street lights.

All northeastern bats eat insects and take their prey on the wing. Bats use their mouths to scoop small insects out of the air. Larger insects are often disabled with a quick bite and then carried to the ground or to a perch for eating. If an insect takes last-second evasive action, a bat can flick out a wing to nab the insect and draw it into its mouth. This maneuverability makes bats very efficient insect predators: A bat may consume nearly 50 percent of its body weight in insects in a single night!

Although bats can see quite well, they rely on their hearing for night flying. A highly sophisticated adaptation, called echolocation, enables bats to use their large and well developed ears to navigate and catch prey in total darkness. A bat’s echolocation system makes use of ultrasonic sound pulses and echoes to locate objects. Bats open their mouths in flight and emit a series of ultrasonic sound pulses. These pulses bounce off nearby objects—such as bushes, fences, branches, and insects—then return as echoes to the bat’s ears. Using the information gathered from these echoes, a bat can maneuver to capture an insect or avoid flying into an object.

Bats have one of the lowest reproductive rates for animals their size. Most northeastern bats have just one or two pups per year, and many females do not breed until their second year. This low reproductive rate is partially offset by their long life span. On average, bats live approximately four to six years, and there are some incredible records of bats living twenty to thirty years in the wild.

Because few flying insects are active during the winter months, bats that remain in the Northeast year-round gather in caves and abandoned mines to hibernate. Hibernation is a state of prolonged torpor during which bats greatly reduce their normal metabolic activities. Body temperature in hibernating bats falls from a normal level of more than 100o F to that of the surrounding cave temperature, usually 40–50o F. The heart rate slows to only about twenty beats per minute, as compared to 1,000 beats per minute during flight. By allowing their bodily processes to slow this way, hibernating bats can survive on a very small amount of stored fat during the five- to six-month hibernation period, losing from one-fourth to one-half of their prehibernation weight."

Reunion with Friends

2010-07-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

David, Edna, Will, and Ira

Yesterday we had our friends David Mole and Will and Ira McIntosh over for lunch. David came all the way from Florida and Will and Ira drove over from Morro Bay. We spent time with all of them in Ukraine, but hadn't all been together since then.

We had a great time reminiscing about all things Ukrainian. I think Ira, our Ukrainian national, really liked the green borshch I made. I've never seen someone eat raw shchavel, the bitter main ingredient, so eagerly. I did my best to make everything just like Baba Olya would have. Thanks guys for a fun time and for keeping our hearts still longing for Ukraine.

"Seriously, don't touch my borshch!"

Ciudad de Angeles (City of Angels) Orphanage, Mexico

2010-07-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

Edna and Katya

On June 23rd, we drove down to Mexico with a group from our church and met up with others from Calvary Chapel Kern River Valley. We spent five wonderful days serving and loving the children in a small Christian orphanage called Ciudad de Angeles. We took several of the youth from our church, including Dominic, and I'm sure they were forever changed by the orphans they met.

Lisa and Monica (all three of the girls in these photos are sisters)

Here's a short video of our time with God's children in Mexico.

From the Garden

2010-06-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients for green borshch all from the garden

The other day I really had a craving for green borshch and fortunately I've been growing щавель shchavel (I think it's called sorrel in English), the key ingredient. I've actually been growing several different types of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in our garden that came from seeds given to us in Ukraine. Our tomato crop is an extensive mixture of heirloom and Ukrainian varieties so we'll be doing plenty of canning soon. Edna and I plan on canning everything like we did in Ukraine including pickles just like our neighbor Olya taught us. Having a garden has definitely been a blessing in that we are eating healthy, saving money, and it helps us feel less homesick for Ukraine. Anyway, I promised some pictures of the garden, so here they are.

Shchavel

Green borshch

Some of the flowers in the garden mixed in with onions

I've also started a bucket garden where I'm growing different vegetables including lots of hot chili peppers. I'm using some antique galvanized steel fruit picking buckets that I'll hang on a rack once they are all planted. Hopefully I'll be able to move the bucket garden out of the cold and keep it going through the winter.

Church Picnic 2010

2010-05-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Andy getting things started.

Sunday after church we had our annual church picnic complete with chili cook-off and homemade ice cream. The weather was perfect and everyone seemed to be blessed by the time of fellowship we had. It doesn't get much better than worshiping God in the park and sharing food with brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.

Edna reading her Bible and getting some sun.

Andy leading the children in worship.

And of course the chili.

Eye of the Beholder

2010-04-07T22:50:00.003-07:00

Well I haven't had a lot of time to blog since starting a new job and with all the things that need to be done around here (lots of home repairs). But one thing that I do want to take the time to blog about is Dominic's increasing interest and talent in photography. He began a photography class in school and he is really enjoying it. He has also been chosen to work on the yearbook staff next year. I'm so proud to see his artistic skills in photography flourish the way they have.

On a side note, Dominic actually has one of the same high school teachers I did for one of his classes. Even stranger, Joshua recently started taking Judo lessons and I was shocked to see the little Japanese instructor that I had when I was eleven years old (who I thought was old then) is one of Joshua's instructors. I'm not sure what to think of it all.

Anyway, Dominic is growing daily in his skill as a photographer and I just wanted to share a few of my favorite photos of his with everyone. He really has an eye for photography! You can view his most recent photos by clicking http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgs_photography/ or you can view his very own blog here: http://dgsphoto.blogspot.com

First School Bus Ride for Joshua

2010-03-04T01:00:00.001-08:00

Joshua's school bus sliding in the mud. You can see Joshua leaning over the front seat for a better view.

Today was Joshua's first time riding on the school bus. Unlike most parents, I didn't get all teary eyed and snap a ton of photos of our little boy's first time on the bus. That is until I heard Edna shouting from the other room that the bus was mired in mud in front of our house. I snatched up the camera and ran to the front porch in my boxers hoping to catch some of the action. I know, I probably should have grabbed a jacket or at least a robe. Edna said I might have embarrassed Joshua. Is it embarassing to have your dad chasing after your school bus in his underwear snapping pictures? Maybe.

Anyway, we watched with sympathy and laughter as the bus driver slid around in the mud trying to free the big yellow beast. Thankfully for the driver, Joshua was his first passenger and thus he was spared further indignity. I could just make out Joshua's worried expression as the bus struggled to break free. I can't wait to hear his version of the story when he gets home from school today.

The bus actually slid sideways before finally getting out.

Goodbye Bila Tserkva, Goodbye Ukraine

2010-02-22T04:00:00.001-08:00

By the time this blog posts, we should be on an Aeroflot plane somewhere over Russia on our way to Los Angeles. We don't know exactly what God has planned for us, but we know that He has forever changed our lives by taking us to Ukraine. Our perspective on life in this world will never be the same. God has taught us so much over the last three years. We are so grateful for all the opportunities He has given us and all the people He has brought into our lives. We have definitely witnessed lives changed, including our own.

We don't know if we will ever have a chance to return to Ukraine although I would love to lead a short term missions team to Ukraine if God wills it. I honestly believe that leaving Ukraine is much harder than when we left the United States. We always knew that someday we would have to move back and that we could go back to visit friends and relatives, but we know there is a possibility that we may never return or see all the beautiful people of Ukraine that we have come to know and love. Some of those people are dear friends and like family to us. I can't begin to describe all the emotions we have been feeling.

Our time in Ukraine has taught us a unique lesson in the value of life as we watched people die simply because the knowledge and resources that could have otherwise saved them was not available. I know it has helped me to see more clearly that we are perishing and that Jesus is the only one who can truly save us. We have also been blessed to see God bring new life into this world in Ukraine. There is no greater joy than holding an infant in your arms and being able to dedicate them to the Lord.

We will be living in California and serving the Lord however we can, but our hearts will always be in Ukraine. Thank you to everyone who has helped us through prayer and support. You have truly been a part of this chapter in our lives and touched lives that you may never be aware of. And to all of our friends in Ukraine, we love you and will NEVER forget you. May the Hope of Christ be with you always.

A Week of Lasts

2010-02-14T10:28:00.002-08:00

One of our last big meals together - Joshua, Dominic, Max, Little Max, Tanya, Mark, Zhanna, Vlad, Dima, Svita, and Edna

This week has been filled with lots of last things to do and last goodbyes as we begin our last week in Ukraine. Today we said goodbye to everyone at church as it was our last church service in Bila Tserkva. There were so many tears and reminiscing of fond memories over the last few years. God has really blessed us with the people He has brought into our lives here in Ukraine. It was very difficult to walk down the hall and out the door knowing we may never return or see them again in this life.

Saturday we said goodbye to our dear friends from Pryluky who came to stay with us on Thursday since Edna couldn't travel that far (Vlad and Zhanna with their Anya and Daniel, and Max and Tanya with their Little Max and Mark). We had so much fun just sitting around and talking with everyone and introducing them to our friends Dima and Svita here in Bila Tserkva. We were so glad to have them as our last over night guest in our home before leaving Ukraine. Here are a few of the pictures I took while they were here. Thanks guys.

Vlad and Zhanna's Baby Daniel

Anya and Zhanna

Dima playing bass guitar

Anya, Vlad, and Dima

Little Max, Max, and Mark

Little Max and Joshua

Little Max - "I've fallen and I can't get up!"

Dima and Vlad waving to me like crazy people with Anya

Field Trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau

2010-02-01T05:57:00.002-08:00

Gate into Auschwitz "Work Makes You Free"

On Saturday the 29th, just two days after the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration/death camps, we took Dominic and Joshua on a historical tour of the camps. We spent two days in Poland to satisfy our Ukrainian registration requirements and used the time to give the boys a very real and invaluable lesson in history. Dominic and Joshua had watched several documentaries about the camps, but actually being there made it real. It was an extremely moving and surreal experience to witness the evidence of human cruelty at its worst.

The numbers speak for themselves

One of the most difficult parts of the tour was hearing that about 70% of each incoming group, mostly women and children, those deemed unfit to work, were immediately sent to the gas chambers or shot. Others were later tortured to death through starvation and slow suffocation.

Looking into Auschwitz

The view from behind the barbed wire

"On the Way to Death"

Children's belongings

The Nazis utilized everything they could from the victims including their hair to be used in textile production. The victim's belongings were sorted and shipped to Germany. Some of the stockpiles of personal effects escaped destruction by the fleeing SS guards and were discovered by the invading Soviet Army. These items of the dead were subsequently put on display. What we saw there was horrible, but it should also never be forgotten.

Joshua looking at the many pairs of children's shoes

Eye glasses

Prosthetic limbs and walking aides

Chamber pots

Over 40,000 pairs of shoes

Brushes

The rail yard at Birkenau was the final destination for this luggage

Fabrics made from human hair along with hair from the camp victims

No man's land

Zyklon B used to gas the camp prisoners

The crematorium is located next to the gas chamber that were made to look like showers. The zyklon B pellets were dropped through hatches in the roof resulting in deadly gas.

Some of the ovens were used to cremate as many as 9,000 bodies in a day

Joshua after coming out of the gas chamber/crematorium.

Inside Birkenau just a few minutes from Auschwitz I. This is where the new arrivals were brought and selected either for work or for death.

Joshua and Dominic looking over Birkenau from the main tower.

View of the rail yard where the fates of the new arrivals were determined.

The line between certain death and uncertain life

Inside one of the wooden barracks designed to hold 700 people (30 people to a bunk with 10 on each level). In winter snow came through the roof and there was no fuel for heating.

The infamous train tracks leading into Birkenau

Another sad fact in the history of these death camps was made known to us by our guide. When Germany invaded Poland, the Soviet Union also invaded, and by agreement dived up Poland. It was only after Hitler broke his agreement with Stalin by invading the Soviet Union that the Soviets later "liberated" the Polish people. Many of the survivors of Auschwitz were arrested as political enemies of the Soviet state and sent to Soviet labor camps. Many did not return. Our guide told us that Poland's liberation came in 1989 when the Kremlin backed communist government lost its grip on the country.

"The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again." -George Santayana
(on the wall leading into block 4 at Auschwitz I)

Beautiful is the Cross

2010-01-19T01:25:00.004-08:00

Cross on the River Ros

Each year on January 19th they celebrate the Baptism of Jesus and Epiphany by cutting a hole in the ice on the river here in Bila Tserkva. This happens all over Ukraine as people brave the icy waters for a triple dunking. This is an interesting sight in and of itself, but what fascinates me most is the image of the Cross intricately cut into the ice. No matter how many times I see it, I'm always drawn to it and reminded of all that it represents. It is ugly, yet beautiful. It is shameful, yet proud. It is lowly, yet exalted. It is painful, yet comforting. It is weak, yet powerful. It is bondage, yet freedom for those who believe. And if you approach the edge of this particular cross you can see a dim reflection of yourself and the world around you framed in the image of the Cross.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12

The first woman of the day to endure a cold dip in the ice with wind chill on the river dropping felt temperature to -21 °C ( -5 °F ).

And the Heart Still Overflows

2010-01-17T02:20:00.004-08:00

Joshua and Kyryl with Taras the hedgehog

Some of you might remember a blog I posted almost two years ago about a little boy Joshua met on a playground. The little boy was dirty, his clothes were a mess and the kids were making fun of him. You can read about our first encounter with him by clicking HERE.

Since then we have seen him a few times around the neighborhood and have learned that his name is Kyryl and he is now seven years old. He's a quiet shy boy that Joshua says the other kids aren't very nice to. Joshua has continued to pray for him and an opportunity to show him the love of Christ since that first meeting.

Yesterday, Joshua found Kyryl playing by himself out in the snow and he invited him into our home to play. Kyryl was very excited to see our hedgehog and told us how he likes to find them and play with them. He really liked Taras. Joshua shared some cookies with Kyryl and they played with Legos together until it was time for him to go home.

Joshua decided to give Kyryl most of the Legos he was planning to take back to California with him. I know those were some of Joshua's favorite things, but he never hesitated when he loaded up a plastic bag full of them for Kyryl. We also sent him home with a little Ukrainian story book that explains the life of Jesus and how he died for us. Kyryl was very thankful and polite when he left. It really broke my heart as I helped him get his jacket and boots on to go outside. His clothes were absolutely filthy and his jacket had more holes and patches than I could count. We still don't know much about Kyryl's home life, but we can only imagine. I pray that Jesus will touch his heart and that he will always remember the kind little American boy who keeps a hedgehog as a pet.

This is Kyryl the first time we saw him almost two years ago.

Christmas in Ukraine

2010-01-07T02:27:00.004-08:00

We will be spending Christmas day with our neighbor Olya and her family enjoying a meal that is sure to have way more food than any of us could ever eat. This will be our last Christmas in Ukraine and I wanted to share a little about Ukrainian Christmas with all of our friends and family outside of Ukraine.

Christmas in Kyiv

Here is an excerpt from The Worldwide Gourmet about Ukrainian Christmas tradition.

"Sviata Vechera - A feast of twelve meatless dishes
The rich traditions of Ukraine, dating back through more than a millennium of Christianity to pagan times, have been carried throughout the world to wherever the Ukrainian people have settled. And there is probably no occasion when these ancient customs are held more dear than at Christmas, when families reenact age-old observances that symbolize their deep spirituality, love of family and attachment to the land.

Traditionally Ukrainians have followed the Julian calendar, in which Christmas falls on January 7. These days many Ukrainians in North America join in the holiday festivities surrounding December 25, but continue to place a special religious emphasis on the traditions that mark Ukrainian Christmas, thirteen days later. The days leading up to the celebration are marked by spiritual preparation and fasting. The menu for the "holy supper," or sviata vechera, of Christmas Eve does not contain any meat or dairy products. The meal centres instead around grains, fish, vegetables and fruits; vegetable fats or oils are used instead of butter.

Many of the rites observed during the Ukrainian Christmas Eve meal are very ancient, going back to the pre-Christian era. Early Christians adopted these customs for themselves and invested them with new religious significance. To prepare for the meal, some hay is placed on or under the dining table, representing the manger of the baby Jesus. The table is then laid with the family's finest embroidered tablecloth, or even two tablecloths: one to represent the living members of the family, and one the dead. An extra place is always set for the souls of deceased relatives. Given place of honour in the centre of the table is the Christmas bread or kolach, consisting of three stacked rings. The number represents the Holy Trinity, and the circular shape eternity. A candle is placed in the centre to symbolize Jesus, the light of the world."

"The meal begins once the children of the family sight the first star in the evening sky, recalling the journey of the wise men towards Bethlehem. On farms, the head of the family customarily carries a sheaf of wheat called a didukh into the house, representing the family's ancestors, and places it under the household icons. (Outside, in the barn, animals are traditionally given an extra ration, honouring their role in the first Christmas.) In modern urban celebrations of the Christmas Eve meal, the sheaf may be replaced by a few wheat stalks decorating the table. The meal begins with a prayer and the traditional Christmas greeting "Khrystos rodyvsya!" (Christ is born), to which all respond "Slavite yoho!" (Let us praise him.)

Twelve dishes are served, representing the twelve apostles. Wheat shows its importance once again, for it is the main component of the special first course, called kutia, boiled kernels sweetened with honey and flavoured with poppy seeds or nuts. All members of the family must partake of a little kutia, which symbolizes prosperity for the coming year. An old superstition holds that if some of the wheat sticks to the ceiling when a spoonful of kutia is thrown into the air, the new year will be a prosperous one. These days, your hosts might prefer that this particular tradition be omitted!

Next comes soup: in this case, borshch, the famous beet soup, which for this Christmas Eve meal is made without meat or meat stock. Besides beets, the borshch may contain onions, carrots, cabbage and potatoes.

The central part of the meal is centered around fish and vegetable dishes. Fish is served baked or fried, in aspic, or pickled (perhaps whitefish or herring). An integral part of any Ukrainian meal is pyrohy or varenyky, dough dumplings filled with potato and onion, or perhaps sauerkraut or even fruit. Then there are usually two varieties of holubtsi, cabbage rolls: one stuffed with a savoury rice filling, the other with buckwheat.

There is an assortment of other vegetable side dishes: white beans mashed with onions and garlic; kapusta, or sauerkraut with onions; salads or perhaps marinated beets or mushrooms.

Towards the end of the meal, a compote of dried fruits is brought out. It may include prunes, apricots, apples and figs that have been soaked overnight and cooked with honey.

For dessert, there is an assortment of pampushky, little deep-fried pastries containing various fillings such as poppy seed or dried fruit.

This sacred and festive meal goes on for a long time. For the Ukrainian family it not only brings together decades of memories and reminiscences of beloved family members, but is also a link to centuries of proud tradition. Those gathered around the table are reluctant to get up once the meal has ended and so the family members and guests prolong the celebrations late into the night with the singing of Christmas carols."

Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv

A City Without People - Prypyat, Ukraine

2010-01-05T07:58:00.009-08:00

View from one of the rooms in Hotel Polissya in Prypyat

Yesterday I went on a trip to the city of Prypyat and the nearby Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station, formerly known as the V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station. Edna arranged it all for my birthday/Christmas present because she knew that I have been fascinated by what happened there ever since working at a nuclear power plant in California when we first got married. It was an amazing opportunity to visit the city that had once been the jewel of the Soviet Union, but had to be completely abandoned with only a two hour notice. (It was replaced by the city of Slavutych, an engineering feat in itself. You can see my post on Slavutych by clicking HERE.)

Over the years the city of Prypyat has been looted and vandalized, but you can still see that it was a beautiful city at one time. Even though it stands in ruins, I can imagine how life there must have been a relative paradise compared with other Soviet cities before the Chornobyl disaster. The true tragedy wasn't the actual accident, but the failure to inform people of the accident and the high levels of radiation they were being exposed to. The 43,000 plus residents of Prypyat weren't told of the danger for almost two days when they were finally evacuated. Had they not been evacuated they would have suffered a lethal dose in four days.

The accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station and the lack of government intervention to protect the people affected by it is very personal to us. We know so many people who were physically affected by the immediate fallout and children who would later be born with birth defects attributed to the radiological release from the accident. Our neighbor Olya told us how people here in Bila Tserkva, including herself, were outdoors breathing in radioactive particulates because they weren't told about the accident. Even after the accident was made public, people were told that there was no danger to their health. She told us that the doctors suspect that a bone disorder she has is related to her exposure.

The road into Prypyat with the name of the city and its founding year of 1970

Then: The palace of culture "Energetic", shortly before the April 26th, 1986 accident.

Now: January 4th, 2010, almost 23 years later.

Not to be confused with the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station, the town of Chornobyl is 18 kilometers south of where the accident occurred. It had a population of 14,000 people at the time, but now it is home to 250 security, fire department, and monitoring personnel. They work on a 15 day rotation to reduce their exposure. The city of Prypyat is only 3 kilometers from the site of the accident.

Although the reactors have been shut down since December 2000, it still serves as an active power station to control the distribution of power.

This is the site of reactors 5 and 6 that were due to be completed in October of 1986. After the accident the construction was immediately halted and the cranes haven't moved since.

Standing in front of the structure containing reactor number 4 that exploded on April 26th, 1986. Reactors 1, 2, and 3 continued to operate until they were shut down in December 2000.

View of reactor number 4 from the roof of Hotel Polissya in Prypyat

This amusement park was due to open on May 1st, 1986 to coincide with the International Day of Worker's Solidarity, but the city was evacuated just a few days before. Children never got to go on these rides.

Never to be used

Hedgehog in the Fog

The palace of culture Energetic and Hotel Polissya in the city center

This is a snack bar on one of the floors of the hotel. The last people to stay here were the scientists, radiation experts, and Soviet government officials who were assessing the damage after the city was evacuated. They later realized that they had been exposed to lethal levels of radiation.

One of the many abandoned apartment buildings

Frozen in Time: a view from an apartment window

A Soviet Russia newspaper from May 6th, 1984

A symbol of power

A crumbling hallway in the sports complex

The high dive above a pool that will never see swimmers again

City restaurant and the palace of culture Energetic

The entrance into the palace of culture where community activities were held including sports and theater.

The gym inside the palace of culture. "Strong - Bold - Agile"

Ironically, this mural inside the palace of culture seems to be of people mourning.

As I left Prypyat, the sun broke through the clouds just as it was setting on the Soviet hammer and sickle atop this apartment building. The disaster here began a series of events that would eventually lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union.

My time in Prypyat was a surreal experience. At times it was so quiet without the normal sounds of automobiles, electric appliances, or bustling crowds of people that it gave me a very eerie feeling. Most of the buildings and fixtures inside were familiar to me. Not much has changed in the last 23 years and several times I found myself thinking about the thousands of people who should have been there living their lives. Prypyat is a memorial to all those who died, are suffering, and have yet to suffer from what happened on the 26th day of April, 1986.

Ice Skating in Bila Tserkva

2010-01-02T06:42:00.002-08:00

Maria, Edna, Nastya, and Veronyka on the ice

Today we finally got around to meeting up with some girls from church to go ice skating at an ice rink just a short walk from where we live. It was Joshua's second time and Edna had only been ice skating once as a child. We all had a good time and even had a chance to talk over tea afterwards in the little cafe. We were just a little sad that this was probably our last time to do something like this and I know Edna is going to really miss the close friends she has here.

Veronyka, Nastya, Edna, Joshua, and Maria

Edna was a little hesitant at first, but Maria and Nastya took good care of her.

It wasn't long before the girls had Edna speeding over the ice and they never let her fall.

З Новим Роком! Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T05:18:00.004-08:00

Our neighborhood New Year Tree

Joshua and I ventured out to play in the snow and watch fireworks.

Happy Birthday My Love!

2009-12-29T05:33:00.002-08:00

Edna in Park Oleksandria this morning

Today is Edna's birthday and I just wanted to say how much I love her and how proud I am of her kind and loving heart. She is a wonderful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. She also was extremely patient with me this morning as I dragged her out into the cold to take pictures in the park with all the snow we got during the night.

We were rewarded with these shots of birds that began taking turns landing in Edna's hand. They are use to people feeding them seeds and even though we didn't have any, they were still curious enough to check.

After taking as many pictures as possible with gusting winds and in some places having to trek through two feet of snow, Edna headed home. She hurried back to start cooking for guest that are coming over for her birthday. Even though I know that she is often in pain due to her spinal condition, she rarely complains and she always has a loving smile on her face. God has blessed me so much with my beautiful wife and best friend.

This was one of the views we were greeted with in the park this morning.

A Monument a Day #21 - Holodomor Victims Memorial 1932-1933

2009-12-23T02:04:00.003-08:00

Bila Tserkva Holodomor Victims Memorial

This is the city memorial for all of those who suffered and died during the genocide famine imposed by the Soviets in the winter of 1932-1933 known as Holodomor. You can see my past post about Holodomor by clicking HERE.

This is what Nadia Shulha who lived in the village of Zhovtneve about 40km from Bila Tserkva remembers about Holodomor:

"When they milled the grain, they first prepared seed for the spring planting, then set aside some for the cattle. Then they said that the machine broke, and they collected the sheaves. We went to collect the grain stalks. I went too, although I was little. The brigadier rode in on a horse and said we weren’t allowed to collect the stalks, that they were going to plow the field, and we couldn’t collect the stalks, because the tractor was coming, and collecting stalks was prohibited. So we had to stand aside. The same thing happened with the potatoes. When they dug up the potatoes, the tractors came right away to plow the field, so that people wouldn’t collect the potatoes that were left. I know this well.

I remember this because I myself went to collect these stalks. But the winter came and there was nothing left. You know, they say that you should forget these things. But you can’t forget something like this. The words of my little sister who was one year old, they’ll never leave me, “Mamo, Mamo.” But my mother had nothing to give her. I’ll never forget these words.

[My mother and father] went to Voronezh [in the Russian SFSR]. You had to go through Kyiv to get to Voronezh. [In Voronezh] they were able to trade some things for some grain and bread, and were returning home. In Kyiv there was an old and a new railroad station. You couldn’t get into the new station without a ticket, and tickets were sold only in the morning. There were hundreds of people there, not only my mother and father, and they had to wait near the old station. Just before they could go buy tickets, the police came, lined the people up, and took everything away. They could only keep one loaf of bread each. And you couldn’t say a word because they could kill you. I remember how my parents were crying when they came back. By the time they returned, two of my sisters had died. I know that they died, but where they died, in the house, or on the road, that I don’t know. I just know that they died. I know how they buried my father after he died. My father got an infection in the spring, and died. My mother’s sister, her husband and their three middle children died. In the neighboring house, the entire family died. Only the owls in the attic were left. Our other neighbors had three children, and only one girl survived. I always said the human heart is so small, but can endure so much."

This memorial is located at: 49°48'11.54"N 30° 7'23.83"E

This is my final post on the monuments of Bila Tserkva. I hope you have enjoyed learning about Ukraine and our city, Bila Tserkva.

A Monument a Day #20 - First Ukrainian Cosmonaut Pavlo Popovych (1930-2009)

2009-12-22T05:52:00.004-08:00

This plaque marks the building where Pavlo Popovych attended trade school from 1946 to 1947

Pavlo Romanovych Popovych was the first Ukrainian cosmonaut to go into space. He was born in Uzyn just outside of Bila Tserkva on October 5th, 1930. During WW II, the Germans occupied Uzyn, and burned documents including Popovych's birth certificate. After the war, these were restored through witness testimony, and although his mother knew that he was born in 1929, two witnesses insisted that Popovych was born in 1930, and so this became his official year of birth.

During the past few years, he lived in Crimea (southern Ukraine). Popovych had spent almost 60 years of his live in Moscow, but never forgot Ukraine. For several years he headed the Slavutych society of Ukrainian culture, and made a great contribution to the opening of the Ukrainian Culture Center on Stary Arbat in Moscow. "I am proud that I am a Ukrainian. Addressing the audience, I always say that I am the first Ukrainian cosmonaut," he used to tell the press. The first time he went into orbit was in 1962 as a pilot of the Vostok-4 spacecraft. His second flight took place 12 years later, when he headed the crew of Soyuz-14. He finished his service as the deputy head of the cosmonaut training center in charge of research work (1982-1988).

The building where he attended trade school to become a carpenter, is marked by a plaque with his likeness here in Bila Tserkva. He just passed away on September 29th, 2009 at the age of 79.

This plaque is located at: 49°48'13.65"N 30° 7'27.86"E

A Monument a Day #19 - German Monument in Park Oleksandria

2009-12-21T04:14:00.004-08:00

Notice the various bullet holes in this monument in Park Oleksandria

This German monument was dedicated to Jens Kunst-Gartner on his 50th birthday by his friends on September 19th, 1865. The monument stands on the bank of the River Ros in Park Oleksandria. The park was founded in 1793.

What I've always thought was interesting about this monument is that it has several bullet holes in it. Most likely it was damaged during WWII and some of the holes were made by large caliber machine guns (probably by a Soviet DShK). It makes me wonder if it was used for target practice by Germans or targeted by Soviets because it was German. Just something to think about.

This monument is located in Park Oleksandria at: 49°48'29.45"N 30° 4'9.03"E

Orphanage in Velykopolovetske

2009-12-20T01:12:00.004-08:00

From left to right, trying to keep from freezing in the snow and wind:
Oksana, Olya, Edna, Zhenya, and Vlada

Yesterday, we met up with four of the girls from Chernihiv (Olya, Vlada, Oksana, and Zhenya) to travel to a nearby orphanage in the Bila Tserkva region in the village of Velykopolovetske. It isn't really an orphanage, but rather an internaught. It functions much like an orphanage, but most of the children actually have parents. They have either been abandoned or taken away from abusive parents. For simplicity, we refer to it as an orphanage and basically it is very similar in appearance. The children there range in ages from 6 to 17 years old.

Our plan was to put on a little skit about the birth of Jesus and then spend time talking with the children. When we arrived there was already a group of Ukrainian volunteers from Kyiv putting on a festival to celebrate Svyatyi Mykolai, or the feast of Saint Nicholas. Traditionally, on the 19th of December, children in Ukraine receive gifts to mark the occasion. So we just celebrated with the children and spent time with them later in their classrooms where we received lots of loving hugs and gave back as many as we could.

The children showing off some of their talent

Wearing costumes to celebrate

Did Moroz handing out gifts

Olya with some of the girls

A chance to dance

Pavlina (16), Edna, Olya, Valya (17), and Olya (17)

Edna and I spent a lot of time talking with Pavlina (the girl in red in the above photo). She loves practicing her English and is a really smart girl. It was so sad to hear her talk about how depressing it is for her there. She will have one more year and then she will be on her own at age 17. Edna has promised to write to her and we were happy to hear that she is in contact with American Christians in Kyiv and has been involved in a good church there. Pavlina has other siblings, but rarely sees them.

7 year old Vova really liked his new puppy

Vlada with a little boy who was sitting under a table

Little girls often have their hair cut short because of lice

Sisters, Valya, Tanya, and brother Dima. A fourth sibling not pictured is also at the orphanage.

One of the saddest moments for me was hearing about the three siblings in the above photo. Valya, the little girl in pink so happy with her little squirrel, was horribly burned on the top of her head, down to the bone. Apparently her mother pushed her into a heating furnace as some type of punishment. She suffers from learning disabilities as well, but she had the most beautiful loving eyes and she told me that she knew Jesus loved her. They have two other siblings in another orphanage/internaught.

When it was time to go, it was difficult emotionally as well as physically. One little boy named Artem who had been hugging me and hanging on me earlier, came running out into the snow in the dark. He was yelling, "Uncle Hrysha (my Ukrainian nickname), I didn't say goodbye yet!" He kept holding on to me and I wanted to just sit and hold him, but we had a bus to catch. It broke my heart. I really want to go back there again.

I'm so encouraged by the girls from Chernihiv who travel half the day just to love these kids and share about Jesus with them. They honored us by spending the night in our home and then left this morning in the falling snow to see the children one more time before going home to Chernihiv. They're my heroes. Thanks girls.

A Monument a Day #18 - Castle Hill

2009-12-20T00:38:00.003-08:00

Castle Hill is the current location of St. John's Catholic church

The small stone marker in the bottom right hand corner of the above photo marks the location of Castle Hill where the city was founded in 1032 by Yaroslav the Wise. The city was originally called Yuriv, after the Christian name of Yaroslav, but once a stone white painted cathedral (no longer in existence) was built, people began to call the city "White Church" or Bila Tserkva.

Today, another white church, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, stands on Castle Hill having been built in 1812.

The marker on Castle Hill

Castle Hill is located at: 49°47'29.38"N 30° 6'36.55"E

A Monument a Day #17 - Soviet Pilot Liberators

2009-12-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

MiG-21 monument to the Soviet Pilots who liberated Bila Tserkva

Here's an example of a Soviet MiG-21 (МиГ-21) that has been fashioned into a static display in remembrance of the Soviet pilots who liberated Bila Tserkva. I'm still not sure how a plane first produced in 1959 makes a good WWII memorial, but it's interesting.

This Soviet Jet is located at: 49°47'1.09"N 30° 7'57.65"E

A Monument a Day #16 - Chornobyl Victims Memorial

2009-12-17T23:58:00.009-08:00

Memorial to the victims of the Chornobyl nuclear accident

This memorial was dedicated by President Victor Yushenko on the 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster. On April 26th, 1986, there was an explosion and fire in reactor #4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station near the city of Prypyat (the city has been abandoned since it was evacuated). Bila Tserkva is located in the Chornobyl region for purposes of government assistance to survivors. Many of the emergency personnel and doctors from Bila Tserkva participated in the emergency response to Chornobyl and the massive cleanup that followed.

There are no exact statistics as to how many people have died or have been physically harmed by the radiation release at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station, but it is in the tens of thousands. The effects on future generations can not be estimated.

There is a good documentary that explains the accident and the details of the cleanup and government cover up of the disaster. Here are the links to the parts:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

The Chornobyl Memorial is located at: 49°47'8.18"N 30° 9'16.88"E

A Monument a Day #15 - The Patriotic War of 1812

2009-12-17T02:00:00.002-08:00

Statue of a Ukrainian soldier of the Kyiv Kozak regiment

This statue commemorates the war with the French that invaded Russia under the leadership of Napoleon in 1812. Specifically, it marks the June, 1812 formation of the 2nd Kyiv Kozak regiment here in Bila Tserkva. This war was known as The Patriotic War.

The lack of supplies ultimately starved the French Army into retreat and Russian troops harassed the retreating French causing massive loses. Out of an original force of 500,000–600,000, only 40,000 frost-bitten and half starved survivors stumbled back into France. The Russian campaign was the decisive turning-point of the Napoleonic Wars that ultimately led to Napoleon's defeat and exile on the island of Elba. You can read about the details of the French invasion of Russia by clicking HERE.

"In June of 1812 in Bila Tserkva, was formed the 2nd Kyiv Kozak regiment that actively participated in the Patriotic War of 1812."

This monument is located at: 49°48'7.54"N 30° 6'29.54"E

A Monument a Day #14 - Vladimir Lenin (1879-1924)

2009-12-16T02:00:00.004-08:00

Lenin standing with his hat in his hand in the town center of Bila Tserkva

Almost every Ukrainian city has a statue of Lenin and Bila Tserkva is no exception. These statues are an increasing source of controversy in Ukraine (see the article in the Washington Post by clicking HERE). Several politicians have vowed to take them all down and I've actually seen some in Western Ukraine that have been replaced with statues of Shevchenko. Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks who were responsible for the revolution that led to the formation of the Soviet Union. You can read about his life in detail by clicking HERE.

Here's a picture of Lenin most people haven't seen. He's clean shaven and wearing a wig while in Finland. Creepy.

This statue of Taras Shevchenko holding a kobzar (also the name of a book of poetry he wrote) now stands where Lenin once did in a Western Ukrainian city. The place where Lenin's name was removed is still slightly visible if you look closely.

The statue of Lenin is located at: 49°47'44.88"N 30° 6'57.29"E

A Monument a Day #13 - All Power to the Soviets! (1919)

2009-12-15T02:00:00.005-08:00

All power to the Soviets!

This monument is probably the most controversial in Bila Tserkva. At first glance it seems like a "harmless" Soviet Union military memorial, but a closer inspection reveals otherwise. Roughly translated, it reads, "All power to the Soviets! Eternal glory to the Red Army and Red Navy of the Kyiv international brigades that died bravely in combat for the power of the Soviets in 1919." This was in response to Ukraine declaring its independence and the war for independence that followed. The monument is to foreign (international) soldiers who eventually forced Ukraine into the Soviet Union in 1921. For obvious reasons, this is not a popular monument and it suffers from frequent acts of vandalism.

The spray paint reads, "Glory to Ukraine" and contains the national symbol of Ukraine.

This monument is located at: 49°47'41.37"N 30° 6'33.95"E

A Night with Yulia

2009-12-14T11:19:00.006-08:00

Yulia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine

Today, I got an invitation in the mail to come and meet with Yulia Tymoshenko this evening in the central town square here in Bila Tserkva at 7:00pm. Joshua and I decided to go check it out. We were both amazed at the seemingly endless sea of Ukrainian flags. We were not impressed, however, by having to wait for an hour in the cold while a couple of semi-famous singers lip synced to some mildly patriotic songs. The rest of the crowd didn't seem pleased either, but we all endured and were comforted by the non existent personal space that allowed us to keep warm. Joshua and I stayed just long enough to hear a few words from Yulia and then we cautiously made our way home ahead of the sprawling crowd. Joshua thought it was cool so our excursion was a success.

So many Ukrainian flags!

People stood around in -9C (about 16F) weather to get a glimpse of Yulia

Apparently only this guy remembers the Orange Revolution

Here's a short clip of Yulia in case you were wondering what she sounds like. Notice the two scary security guys on either side of her.

A Monument a Day #12 - Home of Prymakova

2009-12-14T02:00:00.001-08:00

Revolutionary Committee and Vitali Markovych Prymakova

This plaque commemorates the Ukrainian Revolutionary Committee that was housed in the building it is attached to from 1918-1921. In 1921 it was used by the state commander of the 1st Calvary of the Red Kozak Army, Vitali Markovych Prymakova.

This building is located at: 49°47'47.94"N 30° 6'35.07"E

A Monument a Day #11 - Grave of the Soviet Liberators of WWII

2009-12-13T02:00:00.002-08:00

The final resting place of 187 Soviet Army soldiers who died liberating the city of Bila Tserkva (1943-1944)

This burial mound is located near an industrial part of the city where heavy fighting took place. A nearby plaque also notes that during the time of the German occupation of Bila Tserkva, 45,000 people in the city and surrounding region died at the hands of "Hitler's invaders" from 1941 to 1943.

The Great Patriotic War

The Widow

This burial mound is located at: 49°49'1.94"N 30° 5'12.51"E

Although there isn't any specific monument in Bila Tserkva dedicated to Lyudmyla Pavlichenko, I thought I would include a short video of this famous WWII Soviet sniper who was born here in Bila Tserkva.

A Monument a Day #10 - Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1595-1657)

2009-12-12T02:00:00.002-08:00

Bohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky (1595-1657)

Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a Hetman of the Zaporozhian Kozak (Cossack) Hetmanate. He led the uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth magnates (1648–1654) which created the Kozak state. He is usually pictured holding a bulava.

Khmelnytsky is pictured on a Ukrainian five Hryven bank note.

The statue of Khmelnytsky is located at: 49°47'36.55"N 30° 6'36.64"E

A Monument a Day #9 - T-34 WWII Liberation Memorial

2009-12-11T02:00:00.004-08:00

This Soviet T-34 tank commemorates the liberation of Bila Tserkva from the Germans

Memorials made from obsolete military equipment are common across Ukraine, but this one is in memory of the tank battle that led to the liberation of Bila Tserkva. A plaque on the nearby post office is in remembrance of 23 year old Lieutenant Commander Konstanyn Mykhailovych Turchanynov who was killed in his T-34 tank during the battle for the city. The side of the tank reads, "For Family".

"To the warriors of the Soviet Army and Czechoslovakian brigades, that on the 4th of January 1944 liberated the city of Bila Tserkva from the German fascist invaders. -9 May 1970"

This T-34 tank is located at: 49°49'3.73"N 30° 4'10.76"E

On a side note, I thought it was interesting that Bila Tserkva was stripped of vital equipment and Soviet troops quickly retreated when the Germans rolled through. Here is an excerpt from the life of Viktor Nevinchany as told by his daughter, Halyna Nevinchana. It sheds some light on the conditions in Ukraine and a little local history.

"Viktor came back to Ukraine and worked for some time in the town of Bila Tserkva, dreaming of a career of an architect. In June 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union and the German forces gained a very considerable initial success — they pushed deep into the soviet territory at an alarming speed. The soviets began to evacuate whole factories and equipment further east, into the Soviet Central Asia and even Siberia, from the cities and towns which were likely to be captured by the invading German forces. In early July, Viktor was appointed to supervise the evacuation of some equipment from Bila Tserkva to the town of Mari in Central Asia. He did what he was required to do. Once, in a private conversation he was asked a provocative question — Why is it that the soviet troops are being beaten by the Germans and are retreating so fast? Viktor bluntly answered that it was because of poor command, low fighting spirit, mismanagement and lack of proper preparations for the imminent war. His words were duly reported to the secret service agents and Viktor was arrested the next day.

He was accused of “anti-soviet propaganda” and “Ukrainian bourgeois nationalism” and sentenced to ten years in a concentration camp. Viktor Nevinchany was moved from camp to camp — from Central Asia he was taken to a camp in the north of the country where he was to cut timber in bitter cold. Viktor Nevinchany proved to be lucky — he was singled out for his qualifications as an engineer and sent to work at the construction of a hydroelectric power station.

His “luck” proved to be not a blessing but a misfortune — though his job was less physically demanding, he had to work side by side with convicted criminals. And he could not hold his tongue in situations when he should have — it cost him another four years in the camps.

Viktor did return to Bila Tserkva in Ukraine after he had done his term in concentration and labor camps. He joined his wife Leya, who had come to live in Bila Tserkva earlier, and, after all, saw his daughter. And then it was my turn to come to this world. My father found work in construction and in 1955 he won a contest for the best design of a hotel in Bila Tserkva, proving it was not only the best architecturally but would be the cheapest to build. The Hotel Kyiv, which was built in 1957, still graces the center of Bila Tserkva. His designs were used for the construction of several other buildings in Bila Tserkva and in Kyiv Oblast."

Hotel Kyiv is located at: 49°47'47.23"N 30° 6'50.35"E

Meeting at the Orphanage

2009-12-10T10:53:00.002-08:00

Edna standing in front of the orphanage with a bag of mandarins for the children.

Today we met with Jim and Marianna Peipon at an orphanage here in Bila Tserkva. They came down from Kyiv so that we could meet with the director of the orphanage and discuss possible ways that we can spend time with the orphans there, especially those with AIDS (Please take the time to read about their ministry with AIDS orphans and Ukraine Medical Outreach by clicking HERE). We have been able to join the Peipons in Kyiv to visit AIDS orphans in the past, but now is our chance to do something similar in Bila Tserkva. The children housed at this orphanage, which is a converted kindergarten, all suffer from some type of disability or medical condition that keeps them out of regular orphanages. The fifty children that were there are all under the age of five.

Part of the playground outside the orphanage.

Our hope is that people from our church and anyone else that would be interested in spending time with these children, will have an open door to do so. Due to the health of the children and their varied conditions, visitors wishing to volunteer at the orphanage will need to go through a medical screening process before being allowed to work with the children. We were told that because of the flu season and the winter time schedule the children are on, we would have to wait until summer before being able to visit. Unfortunately we won't be here then, but we are praying that others will have a burden on their hearts for these children of God.

The director of the orphanage in her office.

After speaking with the director we were given a tour of the facilities. We had visited this orphanage about two and half years ago when we first moved to Bila Tserkva and were amazed by how far it has come. It looks much better than when we saw it the first time. I pray that the repairs and improvements continue and that we get permission for Christians to visit these children and show them the love of Christ.

Physical therapy room.

Audio and visual therapy room.

Jim, who is a pediatrician, wasn't sure what type of therapy this equipment was used for and honestly it looked pretty scary.

The doctor in charge of the HIV/AIDS children showed us the bathroom the children use.

Sadly, we have previously witnessed the fact that play time consists of all the children being dumped into this central playpen. All those colorful toys almost certainly never leave the shelf. Look, but don't touch.

And finally, this is the reason we were there. These are the HIV/AIDS children. We know from past experience that they aren't given much if any affection. They need more than clinical care, they need loving hands that aren't afraid to hold them.

After leaving the orphanage, we later had a prayer meeting in our home where we were able to offer up our prayers for the future of these precious ones. Please join us in praying that we will gain access to this orphanage and have volunteers who faithfully communicate Jesus to the children and staff.

A Monument a Day #8 - First Ukrainian Revolt Against Feudalism (1591)

2009-12-10T02:00:00.001-08:00

First Ukrainian Anti-Feudal Revolt

This monument commemorates the first revolt under the leadership of Kryshtofa Kosynskoho in 1591 against the feudal system by villagers and Kozaks of the right bank of Ukraine.

In Ukraine serfdom developed first in the territories ruled by Poland. Under the Polish system of serfdom the peasants were bound by law to their plots of land, which were owned by the lord. The amount of obligatory labor (corvée) owed by the peasant to the lord depended on the size and quality of the peasant's plot, but the amount of labor effectively exacted was often arbitrary. The Russian system of serfdom, which was established in most Ukrainian territories under Russian rule at the end of the 18th century, was based on the principle that the lord owned the peasant under his control. He could dispose of his serfs as he wished. He could even separate them from their land. The amount of labor owed by the peasants and the size of their allotments depended on the number of adult males in their families. Serfs were finally emancipated in 1861.

This monument is located at: 49°47'27.79"N 30° 6'32.92"E

A Monument a Day #7 - University WWII Memorial

2009-12-09T01:00:00.001-08:00

"To the employees and students that were lost in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"

This monument stands in front of the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University and was dedicated on the 30th anniversary of the victory of WWII. In the United States many people fought and died in WWII, but for the most part, they were soldiers, sailors, and marines fighting on foreign soil. It's easy to forget that here, people were fighting and dying for the very cities they lived in. It's a very sobering thought.

This memorial is located in front of the university at: 49°47'30.85"N 30° 6'42.04"E

A Monument a Day #6 - Ukrainian Civil War Dead (1919)

2009-12-08T00:40:00.003-08:00

The bodies of 19 people in charge of food procurement for the Soviet Army were buried here in 1919.

This monument and burial site is somewhat obscure, but very interesting. It is located in Glory Park, but stands alone among some trees. The plaque doesn't give much detail as to what happened to these 19 people so I turned to a university historian, our friend Kolya, for information. The war from 1917 to 1921 is referred to as the Ukrainian Civil War, the Ukrainian War for Independence, and also as the Russian Civil War.

In 1917 during the First World War, the Russian Bolsheviks revolted against the Russian Tsar effectively creating what would be known as the Soviet Union. Ukraine saw this as an opportunity to break away from Imperialist Russia and declared their independence. This began a complicated series of events and struggles for power. To make a long story short, Ukraine was ultimately absorbed into the Soviet Union. You can read about the war in more detail by clicking HERE.

So as I understand it, the 19 people buried at this site were in charge of procuring food for the Red Army soldiers who were fighting against an independent Ukraine to bring Ukraine under control of the Soviet Union. These food procurement people weren't exactly going out and buying food from local vendors, but taking what they needed from the Ukrainian population. I can't imagine that these people were very popular. I don't think it's surprising that they ended up in a mass grave.

This memorial grave marker is located at: 49°48'8.36"N 30° 7'5.83"E

A Monument a Day #5 - Petro Zaporozhets (1873-1905)

2009-12-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Petro Zaporozhets

Petro Zaporozhets (1873-1905) was born in Bila Tserkva and was a leader of the Russian revolutionary movement. In 1891, as student at the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology, he joined the Marxist circle and in 1895 under the leadership of Lenin participated in the organization of the St. Petersburg League of Struggle for the liberation of the working class. He distributed Social-Democratic propaganda among the workers in the areas of the Narva and Moscow outposts. In December 1895 he was arrested and sentenced to 5 years of exile. While in jail he became mentally ill and later died in the hospital.

Petro Zaporozhets is not to be confused with the Zaporozhets automobile, although it's probably more well known.

ZAZ-968M Zaporozhets

Calvary Chapel Kyiv Pastors and Leaders Conference

2009-12-06T02:05:00.003-08:00

Taking time to pray for each other.

On Friday and Saturday I attended the Calvary Chapel Kyiv Pastors and Leaders conference in Irpin just outside of Kyiv. The scheduled speakers were Jed Gourly from Kyrgyzstan and Bill Goodrich from Indiana. It was very encouraging to hear the messages and meet with everyone from around Ukraine that I haven't seen in awhile as well as to meet a few new friends. It's amazing to see just how much God has been working over the years in Ukraine. The number of Ukrainians serving as missionaries outside of Ukraine continues to increase. The Word of God is definitely not being hindered by borders.

Enjoying a time of fellowship on the second day.

Our decision to leave Ukraine has been a sad one for us, but I was greatly encouraged by the realization that anything is possible with God and we should be looking at our move as just a long furlough, not a permanent move. I know that no matter where we end up, we will always have the people of Ukraine on our hearts. The idea of leading short term mission trips to Ukraine has already crossed my mind. I would be blessed to serve in California while sharing and encouraging others about what God is doing in Ukraine and the continuing needs here.

The Youth for Christ conference center located in Irpin outside of Kyiv, was the perfect place for the conference. Our sessions were held on the fourth floor in a little loft.

A Monument a Day #4 - Graves of the Fallen Warriors

2009-12-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

"To those lost in Bila Tserkva during the years of The Great Patriotic War - You are eternal in the memory of the people."

The graves of 42o Soviet Army soldiers are located in plots to the NE of Glory Park. Unlike the other WWII memorial, this one is dedicated to the soldiers that lost their lives in and around Bila Tserkva. There are 792 names etched in the stone markers including 78 Czechoslovakian soldiers and the graves of two soldiers who were awarded Hero of the Soviet Union. (Not all of the dead are buried at this location).

"Buried here are the bodies of 420 warriors of the Soviet Army who lost their lives in the defense of Bila Tserkva against the German fascist invaders." 1941-1944

The memorial is located at: 49°48'12.39"N 30° 7'11.95"E

A Monument a Day #3 - Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861)

2009-12-05T02:00:00.002-08:00

Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet and artist

I think Shevchenko is one of the most recognized symbols of Ukrainian culture. His birthday on March 9th, is widely celebrated (as you can see on the website of the President of Ukraine) and almost every city in Ukraine has a monument, street, square, or park named after him.

Born into a serf family in the village of Moryntsi, of Kyiv Governorate of the Russian Empire (now in Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine) Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven. He was taught to read by a village precentor, and loved to draw at every opportunity. Shevchenko went with his Russian aristocrat lord Pavel Engelhardt to Vilna and then to Saint Petersburg.

Works

He began writing poetry while he was a serf and in 1840 his first collection of poetry, Kobzar, was published. Ivan Franko, the renowned Ukrainian poet in the generation after Shevchenko, had this to say of the compilation: "[Kobzar] immediately revealed, as it were, a new world of poetry. It burst forth like a spring of clear, cold water, and sparkled with a clarity, breadth and elegance of artistic expression not previously known in Ukrainian writing".

In 1841, the epic poem Haidamaky was released. In September 1841, Shevchenko was awarded his third Silver Medal for The Gypsy Fortune Teller. Shevchenko also wrote plays. In 1842, he released a part of the tragedy Mykyta Hayday and in 1843 he completed the drama Nazar Stodolya.

While residing in Saint Petersburg, Shevchenko made three trips to the regions of modern Ukraine, in 1843, 1845, and 1846. The difficult conditions under which his countrymen lived had a profound impact on the poet-painter. Shevchenko visited his still enserfed siblings and other relatives, met with prominent Ukrainian writers and intellectuals such as: Yevhen Hrebinka, Panteleimon Kulish, and Mykhaylo Maksymovych, and was befriended by the princely Repnin family especially Varvara Repnina.

In 1844, distressed by the condition of Ukrainian regions in the Russian Empire, Shevchenko decided to capture some of his homeland's historical ruins and cultural monuments in an album of etchings, which he called Picturesque Ukraine.

Exile

On March 22, 1845, the Council of the Academy of Arts granted Shevchenko the title of an artist. He again travelled to Ukraine where he met historian Nikolay Kostomarov and other members of the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius, a Pan-Slavist political society dedicated to the political liberalization of the Empire and transforming it into a federation-like polity of Slavic nations. Upon the society's suppression by the authorities, Shevchenko was arrested along with other members on April 5, 1847. Although he probably was not an official member of the Brotherhood, during the search his poem "The Dream" ("Son") was found. This poem criticized imperial rule, personally attacked Emperor Nicholas I and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, and therefore was considered extremely inflammatory, and of all the members of the dismantled society Shevchenko was punished most severely.

Shevchenko was sent to prison in Saint Petersburg. He was exiled as a private with the Russian military Orenburg garrison at Orsk, near Orenburg, near the Ural Mountains. Tsar Nicholas I, confirming his sentence, added to it, "Under the strictest surveillance, without a right to write or paint."

With the exception of some short periods of his exile, the enforcement of the Tsar's ban on his creative work was lax. The poet produced several drawings and sketches as well as writings while serving and traveling on assignment in the Ural regions and areas in modern Kazakhstan.

But it was not until 1857 that Shevchenko finally returned from exile after receiving a pardon, though he was not permitted to return to St. Petersburg but was ordered to Nizhniy Novgorod. In May 1859, Shevchenko got permission to move to his native Ukraine. He intended to buy a plot of land not far from the village of Pekariv and settle in Ukraine. In July, he was arrested on a charge of blasphemy, but was released and ordered to return to St. Petersburg.

Death

Taras Shevchenko spent the last years of his life working on new poetry, paintings, and engravings, as well as editing his older works. But after his difficult years in exile his final illness proved too much. Shevchenko died in Saint Petersburg on March 10, 1861, the day after his 47th birthday.

He was first buried at the Smolensk Cemetery in Saint Petersburg. However, fulfilling Shevchenko's wish, expressed in his poem "Testament" ("Zapovit"), to be buried in Ukraine, his friends arranged to transfer his remains by train to Moscow and then by horse-drawn wagon to his native land. Shevchenko's remains were buried on May 8th on Chernecha Hill (Monk's Hill; now Taras Hill) by the Dnipro River near Kaniv. A tall mound was erected over his grave, now a memorial part of the Kaniv Museum-Preserve.

Dogged by terrible misfortune in love and life, the poet died seven days before the Emancipation of Serfs was announced. His works and life are revered by Ukrainians and his impact on Ukrainian literature is immense.

Impact

Taras Shevchenko has a unique place in Ukrainian cultural history and in world literature. His writings formed the foundation for the modern Ukrainian literature to a degree that he is also considered the founder of the modern written Ukrainian language (although Ivan Kotlyarevsky pioneered the literary work in what was close to the modern Ukrainian in the end of the eighteenth century.) Shevchenko's poetry contributed greatly to the growth of Ukrainian national consciousness, and his influence on various facets of Ukrainian intellectual, literary, and national life is still felt to this day. Influenced by Romanticism, Shevchenko managed to find his own manner of poetic expression that encompassed themes and ideas germane to Ukraine and his personal vision of its past and future.

In view of his literary importance, the impact of his artistic work is often missed, although his contemporaries valued his artistic work no less, or perhaps even more, than his literary work. A great number of his pictures, drawings and etchings preserved to this day testify to his unique artistic talent. He also experimented with photography and it is little known that Shevchenko may be considered to have pioneered the art of etching in the Russian Empire (in 1860 he was awarded the title of Academician in the Imperial Academy of Arts specifically for his achievements in etching.)

His influence on Ukrainian culture has been so immense, that even during Soviet times, the official position was to downplay strong Ukrainian nationalism expressed in his poetry, suppressing any mention of it, and to put an emphasis on the social and anti-Tsarist aspects of his legacy, the Class struggle within the Russian Empire. Shevchenko, who himself was born a serf and suffered tremendously for his political views in opposition to the established order of the Empire, was presented in the Soviet times as an internationalist who stood up in general for the plight of the poor classes exploited by the reactionary political regime rather than the vocal proponent of the Ukrainian national idea.

This view is significantly revised in modern independent Ukraine, where he is now viewed as almost an iconic figure with unmatched significance for the Ukrainian nation, a view that has been mostly shared all along by the Ukrainian diaspora that has always revered Shevchenko.

A young Shevchenko on a Ukrainian 100 Hryven note

Here's one of Shevchenko's poems translated into English:

My Friendly Epistle

To the Dead, the Living, and to Those Yet Unborn, My Countrymen all Who Live in Ukraine and Outside Ukraine,

If a man say, I Love God, and
hate his brother, he is a liar,
1 John iv. 20

Day dawns, then comes the twilight grey,
The limit of the live-long day;
For weary people sleep seems best
And all God's creatures go to rest.
I, only, grieve like one accursed,
Through all the hours both last and first,
Sad at the crossroads, day and night,
With no one there to see my plight;
No one can see me, no one knows me;
All men are deaf, no ears disclose me;
Men stand and trade their mutual chains
And barter truth for filthy gains,
Committing shame against the Lord
By harnessing for black reward
People in yokes and sowing evil
In fields commissioned by the Devil...
And what will sprout? You soon will see
What kind of harvest there will be!
Come to your senses, ruthless ones,
O stupid children, Folly's sons!
And bring that peaceftil paradise,
Your own Ukraine, before your eyes;
Then let your heart, in love sincere,
Embrace her mighty ruin here!
Break then your chains, in love unite,
Nor seek in foreign lands the sight
Of things not even found above,
Still less in lands that strangers love...
Then in your own house you will see
True justice, strength, and liberty!

Gain knowledge, brothers! Think and read,
And to your neighbours' gifts pay heed, --
Yet do not thus neglect your own:
For he who is forgetful shown
Of his own mother, graceless elf,
Is punished by our God Himself.
Strangers will turn from such as he
And grudge him hospitality --
Nay, his own children grow estranged;
Though one so evil may have ranged
The whole wide earth, he shall not find
A home to give him peace of mind.

Sadly I weep when I recall
The unforgotten deeds of all
Our ancestors: their toilsome deeds!
Could I forget their pangs and needs,
I, as my price, would than suppress
Half of my own life's happiness...

Such is our glory, sad and plain,
The glory of our own Ukraine!
I would advise you so to read
That you may see, in very deed,
No dream but all the wrongs of old
That burial mounds might here unfold
Before your eyes in martyred hosts,
That you might ask those grisly ghosts:
Who were the tortured ones, in fact,
And why, and when, were they so racked?...

Then 0 my brothers, as a start,
Come, clasp your brothers to your heart, --
So let your mother smile with joy
And dry her tears without annoy.
Blest be your children in these lands
By touch of your toil-hardened hands,
And, duly washed, kissed let them be
With lips that speak of liberty!
Then all the shame of days of old,
Forgotten, shall no more be told;
Then shall our day of hope arrive,
Ukrainian glory shall revive,
No twilight but the dawn shall render
And break forth into novel splendour....
Brother, embrace! Your hopes possess,
I beg you in all eagerness!

The Shevchenko monument is located here: 49°47'32.09"N 30° 6'54.01"E

A Monument a Day #2 - Park of Glory

2009-12-04T02:15:00.003-08:00

"Eternal glory to the heroes of the surrounding battles for the freedom and independence of our birth place."

Complete with an eternal flame, the Park of Glory (or Glory Park) remembers those who fought the Germans during The Great Patriotic War (WWII). It is a memorial to all the soldiers of that war, living and dead. Almost every city in Ukraine has some type of memorial like this even if it is just a small simple one in a village. The city of Bila Tserkva was almost completely destroyed between the initial occupation by the Germans and eventual liberation by the Soviet Army. Some parts of the city were involved in heavy fighting involving German and Soviet armor (tank) units. Only a small number of its original buildings have survived.

This area leading toward the large monument is a popular photo site for every new married couple in the city.

The plaque at the entrance reads, "To the warriors that liberated the city of Bila Tserkva and its surrounding area in the years of The Great Patriotic War, thousands of tormented peaceful lives dedicate this memorial complex. Kneel before their feat and memory! They are worthy of immortality!"

The main monument is located at: 49°48'9.10"N 30° 7'9.29"E

A Monument a Day #1 - Yaroslav the Wise (978-1054)

2009-12-03T03:12:00.007-08:00

Yaroslav the Wise with the church of St. John in the background

Inspired by A Soviet Poster a Day blog, I decided to focus on a monument a day in the city of Bila Tserkva where we live. The monuments are testimony to the history of Bila Tserkva and of Ukraine in general, so I thought it would be a fun way to share it with everyone. Most cities in Ukraine are filled with monuments and memorials of historical importance. The majority of these are dedicated to The Great Patriotic War (World War II). Even small villages will usually have at least one memorial. Hopefully this will be interesting as well as educational and through it you will come to know and love Ukraine. I will also include the GPS coordinates in case anyone wants to see the location on Google Earth or better yet, actually come and visit Bila Tserkva.

It's only fitting that the first monument be of our city founder, Yaroslav the Wise. He founded Bila Tserkva in 1032, making it, as of this year, 977 years old. Yaroslav, 978-1054, grand duke of Kyiv (1019–1054); son of Vladimir I. Designated by his father to rule in Novgorod, he became grand duke of Kyiv after defeating his older brother Sviatopolk, who succeeded Vladimir I. A shrewd statesman, he consolidated the power and prestige of Kyivan Rus. He regained West Galicia from the Poles (who had obtained it in return for supporting Sviatopolk), crushed (1036) the Pechenegs (nomadic invaders), and suppressed rebellions by Lithuanian and Finnish tribes. In 1043 he organized the last Rus campaign against Constantinople, in which his troops were routed. At home he encouraged learning, codified laws, erected magnificent buildings and churches, including the famous Cathedral of St. Sophia, and founded (1039) a patriarchate in Kyiv. Yaroslav was in close contact with European dynasties; his daughters were married to Harold III of Norway, Andrew I of Hungary, and Henry I of France. Before his death Yaroslav divided his kingdom among his heirs, designating the oldest, Iziaslav, as grand duke of Kyiv. The others were told to obey Iziaslav as they had their father, but civil war ensued.

Yaroslav is pictured on the Ukrainian two Hryvni note with the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kyiv on the reverse.

The statue of Yaroslav the wise stands at: 49°47'28.74"N 30° 6'30.73"E

Holodomor Remembrance

2009-11-28T03:29:00.010-08:00

Poster by Leonid Denysenko titled "Why!?"

Just a reminder that today is International Holodomor Memorial Day and this is the time of year that Ukrainians around the world remember the horrors of Holodomor, the genocide famine of 1932-1933. An estimated 7-10 million people starved to death at the hands of the Soviet government. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is urging all Canadians to let the world know the truth of this tragedy. Please read the testimonies and hear the stories of the survivors by clicking HERE. Many people here in Ukraine still live with these nightmares. Let us never forget.

Here's part of the testimony of Maria Katchmar:

"My [grandmother] gave my [mother] all her property – the barn, the land, and the livestock. Later they took it all away from us because they said we were kulaks. My father was sent to Siberia. They took all the livestock and told my father to drown it, but he said he’d rather sit in prison than drown the livestock. And he didn’t drown them, but other people did. They took everything from people. In our house, they broke all the windows, all the doors, all the paintings, and took all the linens, so that we couldn’t sleep in the house. So we slept outside. Our neighbor had a goat, and gave us glass of milk and some frostbitten potatoes every day. She ripped leaves off the trees and made pancakes, and that’s how she supported us. Mother went somewhere to find some food, and didn’t return until a month later. She brought us some beans and peas, but there was nothing to cook in, because they had broken all the pots. She borrowed a pot from our neighbor and cooked us some soup. She went again to look for food, but there was none. There was absolutely nothing to eat. We ate grass. Mostly we ate pancakes made of leaves and frostbitten potatoes that our neighbor gave us. That’s how she saved us. They took our land, our orchard, everything my grandmother had left for my mother. They said we were kulaks and didn’t have any right to it.

Almost everyone died. There was usually either just one man or one woman left [from each family]. Almost all the children died. Very few survived. Maybe some people had some gold that they could trade, but we didn’t have any. We had two cows, chickens and pigs – they took it all. What are you going to eat? There’s nothing left to eat. They didn’t bury anyone. A big cart that was used to haul cement, picked corpses up by the arms and legs, threw them on and took them to a pit.

They had a pit and threw them in, like mud. The pit was big enough for the entire village. Eight [of my siblings] died. There were ten of us, and two of us survived. I don’t know, I can’t fathom what misery this was. God forbid that anyone have to live through what I lived through. I remember sometimes now, and I don’t even want to think about it."

By the way, the current Russian government still officially denies that a genocide occurred.

Thanksgiving Birthday

2009-11-26T10:54:00.004-08:00

Micah, Christy, Tanya, Kolya, Edna, Olya, and Dominic

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Claycamp family, our neighbor Olya, and our friends Tanya and Kolya. Dominic's 16th birthday was yesterday, so we celebrated that as well. It was fun explaining to our Ukrainian friends about the different traditional foods that we had prepared. "So why do you call it stuffing even though you didn't stuff it into anything?"

Olya and Tanya with Dominic in his new vyshyvanka

The best part was explaining that Thanksgiving was a day set apart to pray and thank God for all that He has given us and for the many ways He has blessed us throughout the year. Of course our Thanksgiving meal was actually a blend of Ukrainian and American dishes. It just seemed fitting since God has blessed us by bringing us to Ukraine and filling our lives with all these wonderful people who we otherwise would have never met.

Kolya gave Dominic this Bila Tserkva milk jug which was perfect because one of Kolya's favorite English phrases is "Dominic, drink milk!"

The J's (Jeremy, Joshua, Jaden, Justin, and Josie) watching "This is America, Charlie Brown" about the first Thanksgiving. It's surprisingly full of historical facts.

Justin especially liked Joshua's Soviet protective mask

Here's the cake I made for Dominic yesterday

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'm so thankful for the path that God has placed us on and all the people and blessings along the way. We have so much to be thankful for.

More on Maxime

2009-11-20T06:40:00.003-08:00

Maxime playing a little PlayStation

I just thought I'd give a little update on the life of Maxime for those following what is happening in his life. We have been in a three week quarantine period because of the flu epidemic reportedly sweeping through Ukraine. This has meant no school for Maxime, so he has been spending his time in the village where his grandparents own another home. Maxime has spent very little time in school since his father died, putting him even farther behind than he already is.

On Wednesday, Maxime's mother Vera came over and told us what happened while Maxime was away. She said that his grandmother, Luda, took her by the hair and dragged her into the street and told her never to come back that she was going to be Maxime's mother from now on. Vera left with only the clothes on her back from the "home" she has lived in for the last 14 years. Vera is now living with her parents and disabled sister. She is trying to get a job and get her life back together again. We are helping her with the cost of replacing Maxime's legal documents. The grandmother is insisting that his passport and other documents were stolen and has been lying to Maxime about the whereabouts of his mother and the reason she left.

Thankfully, today we saw Maxime talking to his mother outside, but his grandmother has done all she can to separate him from his mother. Edna and I agree that Vera needed to get her life together, but Maxime's grandmother has turned out to be a very cruel person. She gives Maxime money to buy candy and lets him stay home from school whenever he wants. For now, Maxime thinks that life with his grandmother is much better and has no desire to be with his mother who he believes has abandoned him. Maxime is also no longer allowed to go to church with us because his grandmother took him to an Orthodox church where he was supposedly baptized and is now a member of that church and no other. She also took away the Bible and children's Bible that we gave Maxime. She has replaced them with an Orthodox Bible printed in Old Church Slavonic, which of course he can't read.

Please pray for Maxime and for Vera. We know that God is using this situation to bring about positive change in their lives. We hope that Maxime will come to know the truth of what his grandmother is doing and that Vera would put her faith in Christ to give her strength.

Leaving Home

2009-11-14T02:16:00.004-08:00

After much thought and prayer, we feel that God is moving us back to California. There are several factors involved in our decision to leave Ukraine. The most important reason being Edna's health and the progression of the conditions affecting her spine. Many of you have been following her progress through our blogs and we thank you for all of the prayers and encouraging words. Unfortunately Edna has gotten to the point where the pain and discomfort have made everyday life a struggle. She can't sit or stand for any period of time or even carry a bag of groceries without feeling pain. The medications that are available here deal with the swelling and inflammation, but they are also potentially damaging her kidneys. The medications that she received on our visit back to CA seemed to be helping, but they are not available here and an effort by a private doctor to get them from the U.S., France, or Russia was not successful. She would also benefit from physical therapy like the kind she received in CA, making our decision that much clearer.

So it is with heavy hearts that we have started the process of leaving what we consider to be our home here in Ukraine. This is not to say that we don't miss all of our friends and family back in CA, but we have spent the last 2 1/2 years pouring ourselves into the lives of those around us with the hope of making Christ known to them. We have made so many friendships here that we know will remain even after we leave, but we can't help feeling a sense of loss in leaving Ukraine. We feel as if there is still so much to be done here, but we know that God is moving us on and He has a plan for us.

Thank you to all of you who have already welcomed us back to CA. We will need your continued prayers and support as we are planning for a March 1st, 2010 departure date.

Swine Flu (H1N1) in Ukraine

2009-10-30T10:29:00.005-07:00

Two Ukrainian girls cover their faces in Lviv

In the last few days it seems as though Ukraine has been hit hard by the swine flu, often referred to here as the "California Swine Flu" strain. All the news channels are buzzing about the epidemic that is filling all the hospitals and clinics with patients. It's an interesting situation as schools are being closed and quarantines are being implemented. It is likely that travel restrictions will also be imposed between regions. Please pray for Ukraine and all of us here.

Here are some exerts from the news:

From the Kyiv Post

Ukraine closed schools and banned public meetings including election rallies and restricted travel on Friday for a three-week period after confirming its first death from H1N1 flu.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced the measures, saying the virus had reached epidemic levels in three parts of western Ukraine, where there has been an outbreak of respiratory illness since mid-October.

"All educational institutions without exception ... will be put on a three-week holiday period," Tymoshenko said. She indicated this could be extended if necessary.

"Apart from this, we will cancel all mass meetings ... for three weeks," she told an emergency government session. "We will introduce a special system to stop unnecessary travel from one region to another."

"We are considering (imposing) a quarantine not only in the west but also across the country, because the virus is spreading very fast," Health Minister Vasyl Knyazevych told reporters.

In Lviv, the main town in one of the affected regions and normally bustling on a Friday, there were significantly fewer people on the streets. Those who were wore handkerchiefs and scarves across the lower part of their faces.

"There is nothing in the pharmacies. What can I say? There is no medicine at all?" said one woman, Maria Shalyazhinska, queuing outside a pharmacy.

"How come nobody knew this epidemic was coming? Children are sick. The elderly are sick. There are no masks. People are queuing and waiting for supplies to come but nobody knows if they will come or not."

The AFP reported:

Ukraine confirmed its first swine flu deaths, prompting Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to order schools and cinemas closed and ban public gatherings for three weeks to contain the spread of the virus.

The government will also introduce "special regimes" to limit the movement of Ukraine's citizens from one region to another for non-urgent purposes, she said. Ukraine has borders with four EU countries.

The prime minister's tough actions came as Ukraine confirmed four deats from the A(H1N1) virus, amid a growing panic over several dozen unexplained deaths in the west of the country.

"We can say today that Ukraine has entered into the zone of the swine flu epidemic," Health Minister Vassyl Kniazevich said.

It's interesting to note that these guys in Lviv had no problem lowering their surgical mask for a shot of horilka (vodka). The news said that we should be eating soups made with onion and beets, but no mention of horilka to fight off the flu. Maybe I missed that part.

Maxime Returns

2009-10-19T02:51:00.002-07:00

Maxime opening up a little care package from America

Yesterday, Maxime returned from his trip to a sanatorium (a place for resting usually with very spartan accommodations) in the city of Zhytomyr. He spent the last twenty days there passing his time by playing on a small indoor playground. He said the food wasn't very good and it was mostly old people staying there. He was alone and had little more than the clothes on his back when he left here. I'm pretty sure he was glad to be back.

When Maxime came to our door we had a box of clothes waiting for him that had come from a family in Kansas. The box was packed full of clothes that he really needed and even a bag of Jolly Rancher candies that he was nice enough to share with Dominic and Joshua. Maxime later went to church with us and spent the night before going off to school this morning for the first time since his father died. He actually ate so much at dinner last night that he thought he was going to be sick. Thanks again to everyone who has offered to help out with Maxime. It has been much appreciated.

Maxime in his new clothes

A Walk in the Park with Friends

2009-10-05T10:28:00.002-07:00

Edna, Valya, Olya, and Dominic in Park Oleksandria

On Saturday, our friends from Chernihiv came over to visit and spend the night with us here in Bila Tserkva after visiting a nearby orphanage. We had so much fun with these two crazy girls. The church in Chernihiv is fortunate to have them. I'm sure they're a blessing to the body of believers there.

Valya and Olya with a famous Chinese woman

On Sunday morning before church, we took them on a short tour of the park nearly walking Valya to death (but she still had fun). The Fall colors in the park are more spectacular each day.

Edna, Olya, Dominic, Joshua, and Valya enjoying the view.

Of course we couldn't let them leave without getting their picture with Taras, our hedgehog.

Thanks guys for all the laughter you filled our home with.

A Word of Thanks

2009-09-28T02:20:00.002-07:00

Maxime in the village with puppies

We just wanted to say thank you to the people who have come forward to help Maxime. It means so much to us and to him that there are people out there that have never met him, yet still care about him. Thank you and God bless you.

Luncheon in Park Oleksandria with Olya

2009-09-26T05:18:00.003-07:00

Olya and Halya unpacking the food as Joshua and Edna watch.

Yesterday our neighbor Olya knocked on our door and invited us to have a late lunch with her and her friend Halya in the park. She told us that they had waited for us because they knew we did school work with the boys in the morning. We had just finished the boys' school lessons so it was perfect timing. Dominic opted to stay home (his loss as Olya is famous with us for her delicious cooking). We knew by the smell of food making its way into our apartment that she had been cooking all morning. We quickly packed up a few things and headed for the park with her and her friend.

Some color in the park

I'm not sure exactly how long we stayed in the park (it was sunset when we left), but we had a lot of fun listening to the two women's stories and watching all the different people go by. There were the joggers that Olya jokingly asked if she could jog with. There was the lady with the old dog named Julia (who by the way was a male, the dog not the lady). She was afraid he was going to choke on the bone we gave him. There was the man on the scooter who was singing the whole time as he gathered grass, probably for his cow. There was a group of tourists from Kyiv who really wanted our picnic spot, but we politely refused to leave. There was the little old lady collecting bottles from the trash who we put together a bag of food for. There was the man on the bicycle who was filling jugs of water at a nearby spring and generously offered us some as he explained that God gives living water (the most profound statement of the day). There was a little stray dog and his female companion. The poor little guy had such a bad under bite, that we couldn't stop laughing every time he would come up to us to beg for more food. Then there were the two police officers who rode up to us on horses. They were nice enough and let me take their picture.

The police let us feed their horses some bread.

Olya, Edna, and Halya on the bank of the River Ros at sunset.

Sunset on the Ros.

Portrait of Distraction

2009-09-25T03:03:00.003-07:00

Joshua trying to get through a homeschooling lesson.

Before coming back to Ukraine, Edna and I made the decision to keep the boys home from Ukrainian public school so that they could focus on homeschooling. We were worried that they were falling behind in things like English Language and Math. We were homeschooling before (just not as intensively), but having school twice a day was overwhelming for them.

We have been starting each weekday morning on a schedule that includes breakfast, devotions, and chores before their first lesson. Dominic is a good learner and needs minimal instruction, but Joshua needs constant supervision to keep him on task and focused. This is not to say he isn't learning, he's learning quickly, but Edna and I struggle through each lesson trying to minimize his distractions.

Our day looks something like this:

9:00 A.M. I start Joshua's math lesson.

9:15 A.M. We have already suffered through several distractions including, Joshua deciding to sing about something, Joshua stopping to turn ahead in his book, Joshua chasing after a fly, Joshua playing with his eraser, Joshua accidentally launching his pencil across the room narrowly missing my eye, and many other distractions of which we are far too familiar with.

10:30 A.M. Usually by this time we have made it through the lesson and math problems with minimal threats of discipline or comments about my mental stability. At this point Edna takes over while I help Dominic with his math. We usually bounce back and forth between the two of them, focusing on mainly on Joshua.

11:30 A.M. Hopefully by this time I'm cooking up a quick snack for the boys (and lunch for later) and we haven't had too many external distractions like Joshua's friend Yaroslav calling on the phone to see what Joshua is doing, Maxime ringing our door to see if Joshua is done with school (he goes to school in the afternoon), or a hunt for an escaped hamster because Joshua forgot to close the cage during his break.

2:00 P.M. All school work is completed by this time or earlier (Homework will be done later in the evening). By this time Edna and I are mentally and physically exhausted, but this is when we have a chance to get any shopping done,work around the house or plan for ministry. There are times when I expect to find Edna curled up in a fetal position under the kitchen table rocking back and forth repeating, "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Thankfully it hasn't gotten to that point, but we could really use your prayers.

I'm not writing this to rant or complain, but mainly in response to a question someone once asked me. "So if church is on Sunday, what do you do during your weekdays since you don't really work or anything?"

Picnic on Hidden Pond

2009-09-19T06:00:00.002-07:00

Edna, Joshua, and Dominic next to the pond.

Today we decided to have a picnic as a family after a long busy week. We went to a place I call "Hidden Pond" because if you didn't know it was there, you'd walk right past it without seeing it through the thick vegetation. Since not very many people know it's there, it's a quiet place to go and enjoy God's creations.

Hidden Pond

It was nice to be together, eat some food, and simply relax among the changing colors. Hopefully we can take more of these excursions into the forest before the weather gets really cold. Sometimes we can become so involved with everything that is happening around us or the plans we've made, that we nearly forget to breathe. Even though our picnic didn't last long, it was a much needed break for all of us.

The beginning of Fall colors.

The Funeral for Maxime's Father

2009-09-16T08:05:00.005-07:00

At the cemetery in the village

Yesterday was the funeral for Maxime's father, Andriy. It was one of the saddest funerals I have ever been to. It was hard to watch as a mother and father held their son, as a brother said goodbye to his brother, as a wife kissed her husband, and a son saw his father, all for the last time.

Joshua led the procession with a photo of Andriy.

I'm just glad that we were able to be there for Maxime and his family. His grandmother, Luda, and his grandfather were very thankful that we were there and that I could take photos for them. Tanya from Pryluky was also able to be there for the funeral and I know Maxime was happy that someone had come all that way just to be there for him. Joshua and Dominic were the only ones Maxime's age at the funeral, so I'm sure it helped him to know they were there for him too.

Tanya and Edna holding flower wreaths.

Thank you for all of your prayers. Maxime's grandmother, Luda, has said that Maxime and his mother will probably move in with them in the front house. They had previously lived in an attached section that had one bedroom and no indoor plumbing. Maxime's grandfather actually locked up the place where Maxime had been living and said that he didn't want anyone going back in there again. This is a blessing because that place was beyond any description I could give.

Maxime and his mother, Vera

Now we are going to be working with Maxime's grandmother to make sure that Maxime is provided for. His grandparents are pensioners and his mother has no income so we are going to try and get the necessities that he needs. Maxime has no bedding or sheets to sleep on so this will be the first thing we will try to get for him. He is also going to need clothes, especially with winter approaching. Right now, Maxime doesn't even have a pair of socks to wear. We had to give him some of Joshua's clothes so that he would have something to wear for the funeral. If you'd like to help us purchase any of these things, please contact us through email (if you don't have it, you can click HERE and then click the email link under Contact).

Update on Maxime

2009-09-14T06:12:00.006-07:00

Maxime and Joshua placing flowers with Maxime's father

Please continue to pray for Maxime and his mother. Today has been especially difficult for everyone as they prepared Andriy to be buried tomorrow. Vera, Maxime's mother, is in no condition to care for him so Maxime will be staying with us for now. She has been drinking heavily and fell down unconscious outside for several minutes this morning. An ambulance was called, but she refused to go to the hospital.

She may be moving in with her mother and Maxime doesn't know if he will move with her as well. Right now, he is unsure about what will happen to him. He is doing his best to stay strong and even helped Edna pick out some flowers that he and Joshua placed with his father. The family has asked me to photograph the funeral tomorrow so we will be going by bus to the village where Maxime's father will be buried.

Remembering Andriy

Please Pray for Maxime

2009-09-13T11:49:00.003-07:00

Maxime, Lusya, and Kristina last week at the Children's Festival

Early this morning Maxime's father, Andriy, died of liver failure. He was thirty-six years old. Maxime has spent the whole day with us and is spending the night tonight, trying to keep from thinking about what happened. He went with us to church and did his best not to let anyone see him cry, but he's really struggling to deal with his emotions right now. He said the hardest part will be trying to go to sleep when all he can think about is his father.

Please keep Maxime in your prayers and also his mother Vera, who also came very close to dying this past year. This could be a turning point in both of their lives. Pray that God will use it for His glory and comfort them as He draws them near to Him.

Final Touches on the Playground Restoration Project

2009-09-11T01:21:00.004-07:00

Before and after of the old swings complete with new bearings and paint.

Yesterday, I put the final touches on our Playground Restoration Project by painting the new benches and the repaired rigid swings (you can see all the past posts about the playground by clicking HERE). The group from Pryluky made these last repairs and additions to the playground before the Children's Festival. We definitely couldn't have done it without them.

A splash of color for the new benches

We've been planning this outreach for a long time now and I'm so happy to see everything done. The paint we put on this Spring hasn't held up against the summer sun and humidity as well as I would have liked, but it's still a huge improvement. The children, parents, and grandparents really enjoy the repairs and additions that were made and through this we have become closer with a lot of them. It has definitely opened up doors for sharing the Gospel. I'm excited to see how God will use all of this.

Before and after of the suspended balance beam

While I was painting yesterday, several children came up to me and asked all sorts of questions. They asked things like, "What color will you paint that?", "How long will it take the paint to dry?", "What else are you going to build?", "Do the paint fumes bother you?", and so on. The question that took me by surprise came from a little boy. He said, "Why are you doing all this? Is it because you like children?" I said yes and kept painting, but I started thinking about his question.

This bench had been completely destroyed by vandals at one point.

Why did I do all that work? There have been plenty of times when I was frustrated because fresh paint was ruined by kids throwing sand or ripping down "wet paint" signs or by people throwing litter all over the ground right after I had picked it all up. It can be discouraging when not everyone appreciates what you have done, but I didn't do the work to try and please everybody. So why did I do it?

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:3-5

I did it so that the children would have a safe place to play, that they might come and through outreaches like the Children's Festival come to know the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Children's Festival

2009-09-06T02:43:00.007-07:00

Maxime dressed for a fashion relay race.

Yesterday we held a Children's Festival on the playground outside of our apartment with the help of eleven people from Calvary Chapel Pryluky. We also cleaned up the playground, added four new benches, repaired the old swings, and added a suspended balance beam before the festival. I can't believe how much we accomplished in just one day. The festival was a huge success in that God's word was taught and the name of Jesus was made known as our Lord and Savior to about fifty kids (not counting about fifteen or so that came late or simply just watched the other kids participate). It doesn't get much better than that.

Songs and prayer to gather the children.

The team had five stations with four rotating groups broken down by age. The theme was, "Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life". There were crafts, Bible Teaching, worship songs, activities, and face painting. The festival ended with songs, a prayer, and a water balloon toss. Words can't really describe how much God blessed our time with the children and with everyone from Pryluky, so I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Edna and Olya discussing the festival.

We were happy to see that several mothers and grandmothers thanked us for our work on the playground and for the festival. It was interesting to see how many people in the surrounding apartments were all watching and listening to the music from their balconies. A few people watched the festival from the benches on the playground, including our neighbor Olya (who also helped us out with the cooking). Olya and Natasha, the woman whose husband died last week (see post), said they both want to come to church with us next week. Praise God.

Max and Dominic uncovering an ancient walkway and border.

Max and Yana painting the street with John 14:6.

Kolya and Max replacing the bearings on the old swings.

Dasha and Dasha. "Jesus - the way, and the truth, and the life!"

Max and Sasha securing a balance beam.

Building new benches.

Testing the new attraction.

Sasha finishing the benches.

"God loves you!"

Tanya with her group on the new benches.

Max teaching about salvation only through Jesus Christ.

Natasha painting faces and hands.

Dasha, Vika, and Tanya with happy faces, literally.

"Jesus"

Maryna helping lead the kids in a song.

Water balloon toss.

You can see the rest of the photos we took by clicking HERE.

Digging for Your Life

2009-09-03T22:50:00.003-07:00

Harvesting Potatoes

Yesterday, Dominic and I went to the village of Kozhenyky to help harvest potatoes. We've done this before and it's our way of helping a family in the church that owns the home and land there. It's hard work, but we also have fun along the way and they feed us really well.

Lunch Break (red borshch and holubtsi)

They tell us that the village is dying. There are no young people there anymore. They've all moved away. As the older people in the village die, their homes are often just boarded up. We've heard that the village is down to just one cow now as cows are a lot of work to care for.

The road out of the village goes up the hill to the far right.

Collecting pollen.

Dominic burning the dead potato vegetation.

It appears that, unbeknownst to Dominic, he was being stalked by the grim reaper.

Looking around at how difficult life is there, I can understand how young people would want to move away. There is no running water or toilets and most people live off of the animals they raise and the crops they grow. Potatoes are of course the most important crop and the most labor intensive. They are also solely dependent on God's provision of rain for water.

Biggest sunflower ever?

Pumpkins and more.

The potatoes that are harvested must last people until the next year. Nothing goes to waste. The potatoes are sorted and any that are damaged are fed to their animals. Potatoes can also be sold or traded. So as I looked around at other people digging neighboring plots of land, I realized that they were literally digging for their lives.

This woman had been in the field next to us collecting vegetables and some grass for the one remaining cow in the village. She was lugging a full load up the steep hill using an old baby carriage.

Through the Son

2009-09-02T10:52:00.008-07:00

Yesterday, a man in our building died while riding his bicycle to work. Today, he was buried. It’s a reminder to me of how fragile we are and the simple fact that we are all perishing. Some of us will have eternal life in Christ because we have chosen to follow him, while others will not.

I can’t help but wonder what effect death has on our lives. Growing up in California, I feel as though I was shielded from death in a way. Of course I attended the occasional funeral of deceased relatives, but with limited exposure to death. Death was something associated with funeral homes and cemeteries. I suspect this is the case for the average American as well. Does this lead us to forget or at least not think about our momentary existence in this world?

In Ukraine, death is part of life. There is little attempt to hide or disguise it. Funerals generally take place at home with the help of friends, family, and neighbors. If you live in an apartment building, you can’t avoid being a part of or at least seeing a funeral every couple of months or so. Does this constant reminder of mortality cause people to examine eternity more closely or simply become numb to it? I don’t know, but I do know that I am more driven than ever to make known to the person I pass every day on the stairs that salvation comes from only one source, Jesus Christ.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. -John 6:40

A friend of mine, Jeremy Foster, recently wrote this on his blog about death.

"Just a thought with this: oftentimes when a Christian dies, people say something to the extent that the person has gone to a better place. "A better place"? I appreciate the sentiment, but in reality, that is possibly/probably the greatest understatement in the universe. In all actuality, there is no better place anywhere. For the believer in Jesus, earth is the closest thing we'll ever have to hell. For the non-believer on the other hand, earth is the closest thing they'll ever have to heaven."

First Bell at School 16

2009-09-01T03:44:00.008-07:00

Ringing the first bell

Today was the first day of school in Ukraine and even though the boys are staying home this year to focus on home schooling, I decided to go anyway. Since we know so many of the children, it felt a little like we were sending our own kids off to school.

Our neighbor Oksana

The ceremony had pretty much the same format as last year, but instead of a little girl riding on the shoulders of an older student and ringing the bell, they did things a little different. This year they had a boy and a girl ring the bell together as they were flanked by two older students.

Oksana and Alina

All the children dress up for the first day of school and bring their teachers bouquets of flowers. It broke my heart to see Maxime after the ceremony standing in the back wearing basically the same clothes he had been wearing on the playground the day before and looking a little bit dirty. I realized that he hadn't stood with his classmates. He didn't have a back pack or even a bag to carry his new books in like the other kids either. It really bothered me that his parents did absolutely nothing for him on his first day of school as he goes into 7th grade. At least I was there for him and was able to tell him to be happy as he went off to his class room. Hopefully that meant something.

Two police officers attending the event just in case things get out of hand. (just kidding) The officer on the left is Alina's father and her mother is next to him.

Where Do You Get Your Water?

2009-08-31T03:07:00.002-07:00

A shiny blue truck selling drinking water

While we were in California, we really enjoyed the fact that we could get fresh, clean well water right out of the tap. Here in Ukraine we have three options for drinking water. You can filter the tap water, which we do in a small pitcher for cooking and making tea, you can get your water straight from the well, or you can buy drinking water.

Dominic at the then working pump about two years ago.

I usually prefer to get water from a nearby well that has a hand pump on it. Unfortunately, the pump has broken or been vandalized at least twice now. It is currently capped off and it is uncertain if it will be repaired again. There is, however, a traditional open well with a bucket and chain just outside of our apartment, but I try to avoid drinking that water as it tends to have undesirable things fall into it. You know, sorts of things like bugs and frogs. It works just fine for flushing the toilet when the water in the building is turned off, but probably not the best for drinking. I just heard yesterday that someone found a dead cat in their well. This was a well that I drank from on several previous occasions. I've decided to try and limit my water intake from these types of open wells in the future.

Dominic demonstrating the well just outside of our building two years ago.

Just recently, a schedule was posted for a water truck that would be selling water in our neighborhood. Coincidentally, this happened to coincide with the timing of the pump being capped off. (Could there be any sinister connection here or just good timing?) Anyway, we just take our water jugs down and get them filled with what appears to be pretty good drinking water. It's a deal at about six cents a liter.

I just think it's interesting that it's perfectly normal to have a discussion about where and how someone gets their drinking water here in Ukraine. Another interesting topic for discussion is who knows the best source for fresh milk, but that's a whole different story.

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:13-14

Halyna and Her Gentle Tooth Repair

2009-08-27T08:14:00.002-07:00

Joshua under the care of Halyna the Dentist

Today we took Joshua to a local dentist that came highly recommended by some friends of ours. She was very nice and did a good job of making Joshua's tooth look like new again. It only took about twenty minutes and was done in a comfortable little office that had been converted from a first floor apartment. It was also well lit. This may seem an unusual thing to comment about, but we have experienced some pretty dark public buildings and hospitals. It's not uncommon to walk down completely dark hallways with only a small crack of light escaping from a closed door to illuminate your way. So yes, it was a very pleasant experience for all of us and the cost was very reasonable.

Outside the dentist office

Good as new (if you haven't seen the before picture, you can click HERE)

(This has nothing to do with Joshua's tooth, but I've always liked this photo of street art in Kyiv.)

Freedom

2009-08-23T03:01:00.007-07:00

The Tryzub

Tomorrow is Independence Day in Ukraine and all the news channels are running stories of the preparations and ceremonies going on. There are lots of Ukrainian flags and images of the Tryzub, the national symbol of Ukraine, everywhere you look. If you look closely at the symbol you can make out the word "ВОЛЯ" (volya), which means freedom. I was watching news coverage of a Ukrainian politician preparing to address a crowd of onlookers when she passed by a variation of the Tryzub that I had never seen before. In the top center, there was a cross added to the national symbol.

Knowing that the symbol means "freedom", I thought how fitting that this version could be interpreted to convey a very powerful message. Freedom in Christ.

Happy Independence Day and may God bless Ukraine and its people.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

Коли Син отже зробить вас вільними, то справді ви будете вільні. Ів 8:36

Walking in the Village

2009-08-22T04:55:00.006-07:00

Some of the kids asked if I would take their picture after assuring us that their dog doesn't bite.

Yesterday, Dominic and Edna went with me on a walk through the forest. We ended our walk by walking home through the little village on the other side of the river. It's still part of Bila Tserkva and I guess you could call it a suburb rather than a village, but people raise animals and crops so I think of it as a village. Anyway, I snapped a few photos as we walked to give people a better idea of what it looks like where we live.

People have dog and cat doors so why not a chicken door? Actually, I guess it's more of tunnel than a door, but I still like the idea.

A babusya (grandmother) watching over her goats

I'm always amazed at how different life can be just across the river. Each day we watch as people bring carts of vegetables, fruits, meats, and homemade dairy products from the village to sell in the market on this side of the river.

A babusya on her way to the market

Edna and Dominic walking towards the bridge on the way home

I guess you could say, "there's no place like home", and we feel truly blessed by the life that God has called us to here.

New Swings (more fun, less dangerous)

2009-08-19T07:25:00.008-07:00

Today I decided to put up the two swings we had brought from California. The kids had never really seen swings like this before and were a little uneasy about how to use them at first. All the swings I've seen here are either rigid metal or wood. They won't give if a child were to walk in front of one that was in motion. (Dominic witnessed this first hand when he saw a man accidentally get hit in the face by one of these contraptions.)

These are the typical rigid metal swings you see on playgrounds here.

The kids quickly got over their initial fears and started pushing these new "chain swings" to the limit. For awhile it was boys against girls as they competed to see who could touch the opposite overhead support with their feet first. Eventually the girls won out and took control of both swings forcing the boys to find other means of entertainment.

The girls have been using the swings non stop since I put them up. We are so happy that we could do this for the children in our neighborhood. We are even more excited about finishing the repairs we have planned for the playground and hosting a children's festival for all the kids the first Saturday in September. A group of people will be coming from the Pryluky church to help us do this so that we can share Christ with these children in both word and deed. Please pray that many children will come and have God's Word sown in their hearts.

Home

2009-08-15T07:34:00.007-07:00

Our neighbor Oksana, her sister Natasha, and friend Olya celebrating Ivana Kupala

We made it home to our apartment in Ukraine late Thursday/early Friday our time. Our flight and transfer from Moscow to Kyiv was thankfully uneventful. The Footes picked us up at the airport and delivered us safely to Bila Tserkva. (Thanks Danny for fighting the little yellow van all the way to our place.)

We were somewhat dreading walking into a stuffy apartment that had been closed up the whole time we were gone, but we were pleasantly surprised when we walked in. There was a cool breeze and fresh food in the kitchen. We found a note on our refrigerator from our neighbor downstairs, Oksana. In the note she welcomed us home to Ukraine and told us to enjoy the food. She had made us chicken borshch (cabbage soup), compote (fruit drink), and our landlord had baked several pastries for us as well. We felt so blessed that they had taken the time to open up our apartment and make sure we were comfortable and had food.

The next day we shared some American snacks with a few of the neighborhood kids. They had never seen beef jerky, Fritos, or Cheez-Its before. Here's a video of the girls giddy with snacks. It ends with them basically saying "No comment" to their new status as celebrities.

Most things have gone smoothly so far, although Joshua slipped on the stairs today and chipped his front tooth. The girls he was playing with brought him to our door with a bloody lip and even a bag that they had carefully placed his tooth fragments in. We cleaned him up and he went back to playing. What really had him frightened was the thought of going to a Ukrainian dentist. (He'd heard all the horror stories from his friends.) He should be OK until we can find a good dentist.

At least it's a small chip

We are just thankful to God that we are back safely and continue to be welcomed home by all of our friends and neighbors here.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider Bite

2009-07-05T13:16:00.002-07:00

All wrapped up

I’m sitting in the Emergency Room lobby waiting for Edna as I write this. This is our fourth visit since we came over to the Central Coast to visit friends and hopefully get a little rest. After three different antibiotics, including an IV drip, we are probably on our way back to Visalia today falling short of our intended goal of seeing everyone and squeezing in a day of rest. It all started with a small spider bite that Edna noticed on her hand when she woke up last Sunday morning.

On Monday, we made our way over to the coast only to have the spider bite rapidly become infected. Fortunately we had just finalized our ticket changes to extend our U.S. stay until August 12th to allow for Edna to see a neurosurgeon about the damaged discs in her spine. (The unfortunate part is that the airline charged us $2,800 to make the change and would not honor a medical waiver.)

The infected area at the base of her right index finger was first cut open and drained, then cut open again and packed with gauze ribbon a day later. (You can see the photo if you aren’t squeamish by clicking HERE.) When that didn’t work they had to again open it up and flush everything out and then immobilize her hand. If her hand doesn’t improve, a hand surgeon may need to do a further surgical procedure to stop the infection. Needless to say it has been a very painful experience for her (and for Joshua who has come down with an ear infection). I now have to admit that her fear of spiders is justified and I’ll refrain from any further teasing regarding her validated arachnophobia.

Please keep us all in prayer.

Vision Calvary Chapel

2009-06-28T12:10:00.002-07:00

Andrew, Pastor Ryan, myself and Edna

This morning we were honored to share about our lives in Ukraine with Vision Calvary Chapel in Porterville. It is always a blessing to us when we can gather with believers and tell about what God is doing in Ukraine. They made us feel like family and have graciously offered to help support us financially and in prayer. We were so happy to see how God is blessing the fellowship there with sound Bible teaching. I never knew that Leviticus could be so exciting. Thanks Ryan.

It was also a time of reunion since I had gone to high school with Andrew, their missions coordinator, and have only recently been in contact with him again. We are both different people now thanks to God's Grace, Mercy, and Love. We enjoyed an awesome time of fellowship and lunch together with our families. Thanks again Andrew.

A Night with Ebo

2009-06-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ebo Elder

Last night I had the pleasure of spending time with professional boxer Ebo Elder at Calvary Chapel Visalia. He has now gone into full time ministry and is an amazing source of encouragement for all those who love the Lord and want to see others discover salvation in Jesus Christ. I've heard his testimony and I highly recommend you check it out for yourself by clicking the link Ebo Tribe. It's incredible what happens when you let God do what you can't.

Vacation Bible School in the Foothills

2009-06-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

This morning we met with Terri from Foothill Bible Church in Elderwood to share with the children there about the children in Ukraine. This week they are having their Vacation Bible School and are raising money for Ukrainian children’s books that make the Gospel known through the life of Jesus Christ (done through Cook International). We were blessed by all of the questions and interest the children had about the children in Ukraine. There were just over seventy children and we were honored to be their guests. Joshua even showed the children how to count to five in Ukrainian (which they did amazingly well). It was such an encouragement to see all of those children hearing God’s Word and seeing all the young people in service to the Lord.

Joshua had a chance to get in on some of the activities and paint his hair orange. We had such a good time and we wish we could go back again.

Upside-down

2009-06-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

A few hours ago, I was downloading some pictures from my camera when I heard the unmistakable sound of a car impacting something just outside the house we are staying in here in Visalia. Edna called 911 while I ran for the car with my camera in hand. (This is actually the second time that a car has rolled in front of the house here so we knew the drill.) I snapped a photo as I ran across the road. I was relieved to see a shaken, but seemingly unhurt, young girl emerge through a broken window. I had her lay flat on the ground while a neighbor helped me assess her condition. Edna helped her make a phone call to her mother and calm her down while we waited for an ambulance.

Edna and a neighbor helping to notify the girl's family before the ambulance arrived

The 23-year-old girl had apparently lost control of her car causing it to go into a spin and impact a tree. Her car impacted the tree backwards at an angle that caused it to flip over. Hitting the tree like that probably kept her from sustaining serious injuries. All of us were thankful that God had brought this girl through what could have been a serious accident and are praying that she had no unseen injuries.

I’m sure that seat belts and airbags factor into things, but I’m still amazed at God’s ability and willingness to protect our fragile bodies according to His will.

Three More Years!

2009-06-03T12:35:00.002-07:00

Edna's visa that is valid for three years

On Tuesday morning we went to the Ukrainian Consulate in San Francisco expecting to receive a one year visa for Edna. The government had only approved her for a one year visa, but we had gotten a three year invitation letter. They were really nice to us at the consulate office and told Edna she could have a three year visa since she had a three year invitation letter. We were really blessed since this means we won't have to travel to a consulate office or embassy outside of Ukraine for three years or pay the fee to renew her visa. (The boys and I already had five year visas so now we are all set until 2012.) Praise God!

Uniting Ukrainians and Californians Through Prayer

2009-05-19T23:26:00.002-07:00

Some of our prayer partners in California with Edna

This evening we had the pleasure to meet and pray with members of a small Bible study who have been praying for the needs of our church members in Ukraine. For several months we have been exchanging prayer requests and praying for each other on a weekly basis. I have been personally blessed and amazed at how prayers have been answered as both groups have poured out their hearts in prayer for people they have never met. I was able to hear first hand how God has moved through prayer to touch these people's lives in a way that only He can.

Our church in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine has been praying each week according to the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ living in California and is blessed to receive their prayers in return.

I truly believe that prayer is one of the greatest bonding agents that cements us into the body of Christ as we are raised up as His living church. I've seen prayer stretch across oceans and cultures bringing glory to our Father in Heaven. How great it is to be a part of that.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. -Ephesians 6:18

Visalia Mayor's Prayer Breakfast

2009-05-09T20:07:00.005-07:00

Visalia Mayor Jesus Gamboa and wife Olivia bow their heads in prayer during the 2009 Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Thursday at the Visalia Convention Center.

On Thursday morning, Edna and I attended the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast where Mike Huckabee was the guest speaker. It was a chance to wake up early and try to shake off some of our lingering jet lag as well as connect with other local Evangelical Christians. We were blessed to see over 1,000 people in attendance. I even ran into a few people that I know. We were so encouraged by the powerful message of salvation that was shared by Mike Huckabee and the cooperative prayers of several denominations lifted up in unity. I only wish that we could see that kind of cooperation among different churches in Ukraine.

It was also great to see so many familiar faces from Calvary Chapel Visalia (which organized the event) including Pastor Bob Grenier who did the opening and closing.

Huckabee was invited to play bass on the last worship song of the morning.

Christ Has Risen!

2009-04-19T02:44:00.003-07:00

Christ Has Risen!

Today we are celebrating the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) here in Ukraine. I like the fact that our city, Bila Tserkva, puts up signs about Christ and not about some bunny that secretly delivers chocolate eggs to little children.

The Great Day

Although everyone knows that Christ has risen, not everyone knows who Jesus is, at least not on a personal level. Our goal here in Ukraine is to let as many people as possible know exactly who Jesus Christ is and what He did for all of us.

Some Easter Blossoms

May all of you who are celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior today be blessed.

Circus Ukraine

2009-04-18T13:13:00.005-07:00

Edna on the right buying our tickets for the "European" circus

We thought it would be fun to finally check out one of the traveling circuses that frequently come through Bila Tserkva, so that's exactly what we did today. Dominic opted to stay home so it was just me, Edna, and Joshua. I thought it was interesting that the tickets varied in cost by where you chose to be seated. Since there were only four sections and eight rows, this seemed a little strange since the price of a first or second row seat was double what a seventh or eighth row seat cost. I noticed one boy in the fifth row had binoculars around his neck. I couldn't help but think that he had to have figured the inside of the tent wasn't bigger than what it looked like on the outside. Right? I wonder if he actually used those binoculars.

Anyway, I think my favorite act was the first one with four trained, skirt wearing dogs. Except for the fact that two of the dogs looked like they had been plucked off the street, I thought it was pretty good. I didn't even get a picture because I was so intrigued by their canine exploits.

The clown pulled a woman from the audience and asked her to jump rope in the high heels that she was wearing, and she did, perfectly.

Next came the clown who made an appearance between the acts. He wasn't very funny, but he did manage to get a woman to jump rope in high heels. (That's real talent.) The next act was "jungle boy", a contortionist who pretended to be a savage living on the plains of Africa. He was quite limber and entertained to a degree, but again, I didn't get a picture of him. Not that I was mesmerized by his flexibility, but mostly because he was wearing spandex. Enough said?

This is the pigeon wrangler who also demonstrated the talents of four dogs wearing skirts and later dazzled us with an amazing hula hoop display.

Then there was the pigeon wrangler, a.k.a. crazy lady who dresses dogs in skirts. I really liked the part where she would grab a pigeon and hurl it into the audience only to have it narrowly miss bird-on-spectator contact and return safely to the perch on her head. (Seriously, it was really cool.) There was also a lady who could balance a candle stick on her head and twirl a flaming baton.

We felt a little sad for this lion. She didn't seem to want to perform or do much of anything for that matter. Her circus days might be numbered.

Of course no circus would be complete without a dangerous lion. Unfortunately the old girl looked like she just wanted to take a nap rather than jump through flaming hoops, which she eventually did after a little coaxing. The real crowd pleaser was the baby bear they had on a leash just outside the tent. He looked a little more playful than the lion.

After the show we got to see this cute little bear cub being walked on a leash. He looked like he could do some damage with those razor sharp claws. Small but powerful.

I was actually entertained by the whole affair so the five or so dollars each it cost for me and Edna seemed worth it. Joshua got in free with a coupon so it was totally worth it for him. I'm not sure if I'd want to go again, but hey, little bears on a leash really are cute.

Goodbye to Painting (for now)

2009-04-17T09:23:00.004-07:00

Sasha painting while Maryna takes a break

Dominic stayed home from school today so that he could help with the painting on the playground. He was a huge help, but I think he was wishing he had gone to school by the end of the day. As usual, we had more offers of helping hands than we could accommodate. The smart ones like Maryna actually scheduled an appointment and Sasha made me promise to reserve a brush for her.

Maryna painting while the boys just stand around and watch (Interestingly enough, this happens a lot with adults, men stand around and watch while the women do all the work)

It took us all day, but I think we've done about as much as we can before we leave for California on the 27th. The rest will have to wait until we come back. There's still a lot we need to do, but the difference we've made so far is very encouraging. The children, parents, and grandparents really appreciate it and we have been blessed by the response.

Dominic helping Maryna with the spots she missed

At the end of the day it was such a blessing to look down on the playground and see all the children running around and playing as parents and grandparents watched. Hopefully the kids will be more willing to take care of the playground since they had a hand in bringing it back to life.

Maryna and Sasha

Although we aren't completely finished, here are a few before and after photos that show a little of our progress.

Caught Red Handed (as well as blue, green, and yellow)

2009-04-16T07:34:00.005-07:00

Maxime painting the sandbox for the little kids

Today, I continued working on the playground with the help of the neighborhood children. All of their parents love the fact that the playground is getting fixed up, but I'm not sure how they feel about their children being covered in paint each day. No one has complained yet. In fact, one of the mothers gave me and Edna a box of chocolate and told us how much she appreciated us fixing up the playground.

Oksana finishing up the Ukrainian Horse on Tuesday (She still has blue hands)

Dasha, Masha, Yuliya, and Maryna posing by the horse

Anyway, all the kids love working on the playground. I do the repairs and they do as much painting as I'll let them. Apparently kids here never get the chance to paint. The adults won't let them. The word has gotten out that I'm handing kids paint brushes and paint and turning them loose on the playground. This has led to kids I've never seen before showing up and asking to paint. One girl today came from over a mile away in a different neighborhood to get a chance to fling some paint around. Another girl actually made an appointment with me to paint after she gets out of school tomorrow. I had to promise here a time slot and color. She wants to paint something blue. Is painting really that fun?

Leeza taking a turn painting

Dasha being very careful

Dasha's twin sister Masha completing the sandbox

Blossoms

2009-04-15T11:05:00.002-07:00

This is the apricot tree beneath our neighbor Olya's window

Yesterday morning, our neighbor Olya called us over to her apartment to show us the apricot tree beneath her kitchen window that was bursting with blossoms and buzzing with bees. These are the first blossoms we've seen here in Bila Tserkva this year making it officially Spring in all of our minds. Spring is definitely my favorite time of year in Ukraine. Everything is coming to life just in time for Easter (we celebrate Easter in Ukraine on April 19th).

Playground Restoration Project (Getting Started)

2009-04-11T09:36:00.005-07:00

Maryna and Nastya putting on the finishing touches

Today was the day we had scheduled to fix up the playground outside of our apartment. Unfortunately, the team from Pryluky had to cancel at the last minute. (We are hoping that they can still come at the end of the month though to help with the big stuff.) We decided to start on the playground since all the children were expecting us to be working on it and we had most of the materials we needed. (I spent yesterday replacing the missing and rotting wood and securing everything that was coming loose on the climbing structure.) We figured there would be some kids that would want to help out and we weren't disappointed. There were more than enough kids who were willing to remove graffiti, scrape paint, and slap on the bright new stuff.

The only problem we had were the really small children who were drawn to the shiny new (and still wet) paint like flies on honey. Some parts on the structure had to be painted three times. Some of the parents just weren't fast enough to prevent their little ones from getting yellow and blue hands. I finally had to post some of the kids on the playground to guard the freshly painted climbing structure until I could put a barrier around it. Even then a few curious little ones had to be shooed away by the bigger kids.

We are looking forward to spending time with the neighborhood kids working on the playground together. Some of them made me promise to let them paint after school next week so it looks like I'll have plenty of little helping hands. Thanks to everyone who helped us out with the costs to begin restoring this once beautiful playground.

Before

After - Amazing what a little paint can do

Seeing Green

2009-04-10T07:51:00.002-07:00

The trees near our apartment beginning to turn green

Today they turned off the heat in our building, which is good because we have had at least a week of warm weather. The world outside is responding by trading drab winter colors for swaths of green grass and green sprouts exploding from the trees and bushes. I expect that any day the cherry trees will blossom and the tulips will bloom. It's not that winter is terribly depressing or anything like that, but I'm just in awe at how fast the landscape around us can change. Where once we saw death, now we see life. God is amazing.

International Women's Day

2009-03-16T08:13:00.003-07:00

Tanya, Valentina, Luda, Vera, and Edna making bookmarks

On Saturday, March 7th, the day before Women's Day in Ukraine, Tanya and Edna decided to have a few women over for food and fellowship. We were so excited that Maxime's mother Vera and his grandmother Luda were able to come along with Valentina and Nastya. It was a great opportunity for the women to share their faith with Vera and Luda. Maxime's mother and grandmother have also been coming to our Friday night Bible study along with our neighbor Olya. It seems that lately, God has been opening doors and giving us wonderful opportunities to share the simple truth of salvation through Jesus Christ with our neighbors. Thanks to everyone for your prayers.

Playground Restoration Project Update

2009-03-16T07:56:00.004-07:00

Maryna was eager to do some work on the playground

Due to rain/snow, we had to postpone our playground project until April 11th and 12th. Although some of the children have already been helping me to uncover the border around the playground. They have all said that they want to help out so I need to make sure I have enough paint brushes when the time comes.

Several arguments have arisen among the girls as to who gets the privilege of using the shovel and for how long. Looks like we won't have to bribe the children with candy after all. ;)

Playground Restoration Project (Phase 1)

2009-03-04T07:29:00.006-08:00

The playground outside of our apartment

It has always been on our hearts to do something about the condition of the playground by our apartment. We have often cleaned up trash around it and tried to do some minor repairs, but we realized that it wasn't going to be enough. Vandalism and neglect have left the playground looking worn out and in some cases unsafe for the children who play there. During the summer, the playground is a hub for all the families with children and for all the grandmothers who like to sit on the benches and chat with each other.

This concrete horse slide is all that's left from the original Soviet playground that was replaced by the newer wooden structures.

Sadly, this is one of the better playgrounds in our neighborhood. Most are so badly neglected or stripped for scrap metal that they don't even resemble playgrounds anymore. These playgrounds are maintained by an area work crew, but unfortunately they do little more than pick up a few pieces of trash. We recently discovered that this playground has a concrete border around it with several paved paths, but they are all overgrown due to neglect. We were further saddened when some of the benches were vandalized leaving only a few for the older people and mothers to sit on. A few people did their best to try and repair what they could with some scrap wood, but it wasn't enough.

These wooden swings were meant to ride on bearings that have completely come apart making the swing unstable and dangerous for small children.

With the help of church members from Calvary Chapel Pryluky here in Ukraine, we are moving forward with a project to help restore the playground and fix some of the more dangerous pieces of equipment. We have been praying about this for awhile now and on March 1st, we began making the final plans and pricing the materials needed. It is our hope that our church here in Bila Tserkva (called "House of Mercy" in Ukrainian) will come together with the Pryluky members to not just fix up a playground, but truly show the Love of Christ in action.

According to some of our neighbors, this was once some kind of bridge for children to play on.

We are sure that when people see us working on the playground, they will begin to ask questions. The cost of this project will mostly be in labor and that labor will be freely given. We want them to know who we are and why we care so much about them. This will be a great opportunity for our neighbors to meet members of our church and to be invited to our home Bible study.

Several wooden rungs are missing on this structure.

Please pray that God will provide us with good weather so that we can complete the project as planned (from March 20th-23rd) and that he will provide enough hands for the labor and provide for the financing of the needed materials (about $250).

Most of the benches around the playground are in bad condition
like this one, leaving few options for the elderly.

More Help from Pryluky

2009-03-01T11:08:00.003-08:00

Vlad, Zhana, Edna, Yana, Tanya, Nastya, Joshua, Max, and Dominic

This weekend a group of people came from the Pryluky Calvary Chapel to help us again (Vlad and his wife Zhana, Yana, Max, and Tanya). This time we focused on ways to make worship at our church better and the planning of our playground restoration project that we will complete this month. It was a pleasure to have them in our home. We had a good time just being mutually encouraged.

Dominic, Yana, Nastya, Tanya, and Edna taking a break in the park.

We were able to get three guitars restrung and in good working order, have a Friday night Bible study with our neighbors, get most of the planning for materials for the playground done, and take a long walk in the park (Vlad also spent a lot of time working on our computer. Thanks Vlad!). We ended our weekend by having Max and Yana (who are brother and sister) lead worship in our church for us. When church was over, they returned to Pryluky with one less person. We are excited to have Tanya staying with us for the next month to help serve in the church here and help us out with ministry. She's definitely an answer to prayer.

Of course we let Max and Joshua have a little fun before going back home.

London Underground and More

2009-02-20T11:42:00.003-08:00

Me and Edna in Trafalgar Square

On Monday, Edna and I flew to London to avoid having to register here in Ukraine. It was also a late anniversary celebration for us (Our anniversary was on February 14th). We have visas, but we’re still required to register with the government or leave the country every 90 days. Dominic and Joshua are under 16 years of age so they don’t have to register (Joshua stayed with the Claycamp family and Dominic stayed home under the watchful eye of our neighbor Olya). Edna and I did the math and found that if we could get a cheap enough flight out of the country and have a place to stay, we could save some money. The timing is right so that we won’t have to register or leave the country again until after September because we are going to California in May when Edna’s visa expires. (The way to get a visa is to go to a Ukrainian embassy outside of Ukraine.) Of course we are basing all of this on the last article we saw in the Kyiv post regarding the always changing and constantly vague immigration laws of Ukraine.

Edna across the the River Thames from Big Ben, the House of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey

Anyway, we found an extremely cheap flight with Wizz Air (I still can’t believe that we were able to pull this trip off and have it cost less than registration and avoid the hassle). These are the kind of flights where you can only take a small carry-on, you pile on and grab the first available seat, you have to pay for the food if you want to eat, and there are no refunds. It worked out great because we were able to stay with a wonderful Christian family living in greater London. We were blessed to stay with Magda and Norman, the parents of Andrew Mitchell who we first met at the Bible College in Hungary. They were so good to us and made sure we had a wonderful time London. Norman even made us a traditional British pudding for after dinner one night. (I still want the recipe for it, but it might be a guarded family secret.)

Edna by a phone booth

Before flying home on Wednesday, we spent a few hours on Tuesday exploring all the tourist spots via the Underground or “Tube”. We saw the London Eye, the House of Parliament, The Great Clock of Westminster (that houses Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace (the Queen was actually there at the time), Wellington Arch, Piccadilly Circus (the Times Square of London), Trafalgar Square, etc. Edna even conquered her fear of heights by riding on the London Eye, the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe.

Of course I took a photo by a phone booth too. Why are they so interesting?

We had an amazing time even if it was short, but just as we got on the train to leave the city, something happened that left me shocked and saddened. A man came on to the train as we were waiting for it to leave the station. He politely introduced himself and I assumed he was selling something like they do on the Metro trains in Kyiv. Instead, he started off by saying that he wanted to share something from the Bible. He said that he thought he had been free before becoming a Christian, but it was an illusion. At this point, Edna and I were listening carefully. He began to give an analogy of a fish trying to live out of water, but that was as far as he got.

A woman began to loudly berate the man saying that she didn’t want his religion forced on her and he needed to shut his mouth. Edna then spoke up and assured the man, who obviously had taken great courage to share his faith, that we wanted to hear what he had to say. He then tried to direct his attention to us as though speaking only to us, but another woman from behind us began yelling that the man needed to get off the train and take his religion with him. I heard various other grumblings coming from around us as well. Finally, the man apologized and looking a little defeated, began to walk off the train. Edna and I both thanked him and he said he’d pray for us. A woman then shouted out that she didn’t want him to pray for her because she didn’t need any of his prayers.

Proof that Edna conquered her fear of heights on the London Eye

As the man left the train and the train began to roll out of the station, I heard a girl behind us ask her mother a question. She said, “Mommy, was that a bad man?” Her mother replied, “No, we just don’t need him on our train.” In my mind I was thinking she might as well have said, “No, we just don’t need God.” With all the “tolerance” and respect for religions and cultures so prevalent in London’s multicultural population, I was at a loss to see any tolerance for the Gospel of Jesus. Instead, I saw outright hostility. Sadly, this confirms what we saw all around London, empty churches.

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves?” – from a play by Friedrich Nietzsche

Here’s an excerpt from an article in The Times Online called Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour by Ruth Gledhill.

“The report makes it clear that Christianity is becoming a minority religion. It also reflects the changing nature of religious practice worldwide and will further aid the stated aim of the Prince of Wales who, on his Coronation, hopes to become Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the Faith.” Click HERE to read the full article.

As we were leaving the train station to get on the bus to the airport, I noticed two public safety posters in the station. The first showed a man in the hospital eating Jello. It said something like, “Do you want to make it home for dinner? Then don’t use the stairs without holding on to the handrail. Eleven people didn’t make it home for dinner because they slipped on the stairs and weren’t using the handrail.” While I was reading the sign trying to decide if it was some kind of satire, a voice kept coming over the public address system telling me to use the handrail at all times while on the stairs to avoid falling.

I guess the British take safety very seriously. I expected to see a poster warning about the dangers of running with scissors, but maybe I missed it.

Never mind the gap, watch out for those stairs. I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of the next sign I saw claiming that out of literally millions of travelers, a whopping two had fallen while running in the station and ended up in the hospital. I’ll take my chances.

Thanks again Magda, Norman, and Andrew for making us feel so welcome in your home and taking such good care of us. We really enjoyed the time of fellowship with you.